Middle of Nowhere
by Sakura-chan Master of the Clow
Summary: Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: date Sakura for two months and have her fall in love before dumping her.
1. Bet On It

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 1: Bet On It**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement: **Every chapter will contain a song which inspired this story. Either it will include excerpts of the song or the whole thing; you never know. You'll see how childish my music really is. ^^'

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><p>Sakura walked up the steps of her school, dreading what the day had in store for her. She couldn't believe she had overslept that morning—she would be lucky to even get to class on time.<p>

"Good morning, Kinomoto. How are you today?" asked one boy Sakura knew was in the popular circle.

She stayed silent and kept walking. She knew all the guys in that group were jerks who had nothing better to do than pick on her; the popular girls weren't any better. Why? She didn't know—though she had her suspicions. For the past two years she had been their main target. She was just glad this was her last year of high school so she'd finally be free from them in just a few months.

"I said, good morning. It's impolite to just ignore someone. What's wrong? Can't you speak now?" He was getting aggravated; she heard it in his voice.

Sakura clutched her textbooks closer to her chest and continued walking, her eyes on her shoes.

Suddenly, he thumped her books causing them to fall on the floor. In one swift movement, he pushed her up against the wall; one hand on her shoulder the other grabbing her chin, squishing her cheeks together.

"When I speak to you I expect you to respond. Understand? Now, what do you say?"

Sakura's jade green eyes were full of terror as she was forced to star into his malicious red-brown ones through her black framed square glasses. "G-good m-morning," she managed to say.

His hands tightened. "Good morning, what . . . ?"

Sakura whimpered at the constriction of his hands. "Akihito."

"Good. You best remember your place, bitch." He gave her a devilish smirk and released his hold on her. "Oh, and call me Kou."

As soon as he turned the corner, she slumped down to her knees, her bag strap fell over her shoulder causing her bag to tip over and spill a few of its contents on the floor around her. A few passing students looked down at her and snickered. She wanted to cry; every day she felt like crying. But she knew that would accomplish nothing. No one would help her; no one ever did. Biting her lip to keep the tears from falling, she started gathering her things when she spotted her compass for math. Her fingers quivered around the metallic measuring tool. _No. Not now._

The warning bell rang and she stuffed the remaining items in her bag, readjusted her strap so it would comfortably sit on her shoulder, gathered the two textbooks Akihito Kou had made her drop, and continued making her way to homeroom. She knew it'd be another long, lonely day for her.

**x~X~x**

Li Syaoran walked into his homeroom and immediately girls flocked around him. He hated the attention he always got but it didn't do any good to be mean to them. All he could do was grin (or scowl) and bear it.

"Good morning, Li-kun! How are you today?" a random—and desperate—girl asked.

"I'm fine," he answered. "How are you?"

The girl giggled and mumbled a small "good".

"May I get you anything?" another girl asked.

"I'm fine for now, thank you. Though I would appreciate some space to get to my seat," he said as politely as possible. The growing irritated scowl on his face, however, said another story.

Almost oblivious to his growing irritation, the girls giggled and stepped aside to let him pass, all mutually agreeing to leave him alone for the time being. Syaoran casually walked to his desk, his buddies already occupied the seats around his. He slumped his bag on the chair and sat on the desk itself. He proceeded to do their secret handshake with the rest of the guys (A/N: You know, the lame ones with the fist bump and other stuff? Yeah, that).

"Honestly, Syaoran, I don't know what they see in you,"Jun said, motioning his head towards the girls who were watching them not-so-discreetly. "You barely show them any sort of emotion and they're still all over you." Syaoran only shrugged.

"So, I guess we owe you one," one of the guys, Ryouga, said.

Syaoran allowed himself to smirk. "You owe me more than one. I won fair and square. Cough it up, boys."

The three boys mutually groaned as they took out their wallets out and gave Syaoran ¥5000 each. He gladly took the money.

"Man, I don't know why we keep making bets with you. And it's not as if you even need the money. You're pretty much going to inherit the Li Corporation before any of your other sisters. You're richer than any one of us and you still take our money?"

Syaoran shrugged. "It's not my fault you give out such easy bets. The last one came onto me not even thirty minutes into our 'date'."

"Seriously? Dude, that must be a new record. Her boyfriend will hear about this."

"You can clearly win any girl over," Jun exclaimed. The other guy hooted in agreement.

"Oh, I doubt that," Kou said, smirking. His feet were on the seat and his right elbow rested on his knees. His palm cupped his cheek and let it rest there.

"Are you kidding? Syaoran just has to look at a girl and they'll be all over him," Jun said, obviously confident in his friend—who didn't seem to care otherwise. "I don't think there's a girl in this school who he can't get."

"Kinomoto Sakura?"

Syaoran frowned. "Pardon?"

"Kinomoto Sakura," Kou repeated. "I bet you can't get her."

"You mean that loner girl who always keeps to herself and does nothing but study or read?" Ryouga asked.

"Bet he can," Jun defended.

Kou and Ryouga looked at each other and chuckled. "Really, Syaoran, " Kou said, "you're going to let Jun make all your bets now?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Why not? What he's saying isn't wrong."

Kou snorted. "I highly doubt that. She's not the type to go out with guys much."

"So . . . she's a lesbian? Pfft, has that ever stopped him?" Jun said, confident in his friend's ability.

"No, she's not," Kou retorted. "But she seems the type to not get involved with anyone. It'd be some _miracle_ if even _you_ got her, Li."

Fire lit up in Syaoran eyes. Friend or not, one does not try to break Li Syaoran's ego like that. "Miracle nothing. I bet I can do it."

"Very well," Kou said, raising his hands in defeat. "You have a minimum of two months starting today. If you can get her to tell you she loves you by then, you win."

"I bet I can do it in one."

Kou smirked. "I'm being gracious here, Syaoran. You'd be wise to accept it as is."

"Fine." Syaoran nodded. "And what do I get when I win?"

"Don't you mean _if_ you win?"

Syaoran smirked. "I know what I said."

"How about the usual?" Ryouga suggested.

"Don't you think I've emptied your wallets enough?" Syaoran laughed.

"How about the usual and you can get each of us to do one thing for you," Kou said.

"Only one?"

"Well, there are three of us. It seems fair to me, don't you think?"

"Fine," Syaoran agreed.

"But if you should loose—"

"Which I won't," Syaoran interrupted.

Kou smirked. "But if you should, you pay us each double of everything we ever gave you."

Syaoran shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Oh and there's one condition," Kou continued.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "And that would be . . . ?"

"You can't fall in love with her. Otherwise you pay us triple."

Syaoran snorted. "Please, it's like you don't know me at all."

Sakura entered the classroom then, just as the tardy bell rang, sighing in relief that she was able to make it on time. She readjusted her glasses before making her way to her seat; which was ironically in front of Syaoran's next to the window in the back.

"Well, speak of the devil," Kou said as he stretched before getting up to go to his own class, the other two followed suit. "Remember, Li: you start today," he whispered.

Syaoran took one good look at Sakura before a broad grin spread across is facial features. _Oh please, this is going to be a piece of cake._

**x~X~x**

Sakura smiled in satisfaction as she looked over her answers one last time. She was confident her answers were correct and proceeded to get up and hand over the test to the teacher in the front. She was actually the first to finish, but felt embarrassed about being the first to turn it in so she went back to check her answers. Twice. The teacher smiled at her as she took the paper. Just she handed it in, the bell rang.

Half the class was already out the door by the time she reached her seat. As she was putting her pencil away, she noticed a lingering figure behind her through her peripheral vision. She shrugged and slung the bag over her shoulder before making her way to her next class; physical education. The figure followed her which was causing her suspicion. Then again, everyone else in her class were going the same way, they could be too . . .

"Hey!" the figure called out to her.

Sakura froze. She turned around to find burning amber eyes surprisingly close to her. A little _too_ close. She backed away a bit and looked around, wondering if he hadn't meant to call her but someone else instead. Seeing as there was no one remotely close to them, she tilted her head and pointed at herself in confusion.

Syaoran chuckled. "Yes, you," he said softly, taking a daring step toward her and her a step back. "If you're free this afternoon, would you like to go somewhere with me." Sakura's eyebrows rose. Her eyes shifted left and right before going back to Syaoran, her eyes full of confusion. "I'm asking you out on a date," he said bluntly.

Sakura's eyes widened. Her eyes shifted to the floor, Syaoran, and back down. A tint of pink was forming on her cheeks. "Oh, um, no thank you," she said in a quiet voice.

If she had looked up, she would have seen Syaoran's shocked expression. No one has ever turned him down before. Ever. "_No_ . . . ?"

Sakura nodded. "Thank you for the offer though." She bowed politely and turned around to continue walking to her next class.

Having recovered, Syaoran ran up and stood in front of her, blocking her path. "Don't you know who I am?"

"You're Li Syaoran," she answered. "Popular, rich, heir to the Li Corp, and ultimately the biggest heartthrob of the school with looks no girl can resist."

Syaoran smirked, giving her his famous smile he knew no girl could resist. "Then why are you resisting?"

"Because . . . because I don't care much for being your next victim," she said timidly.

"Victim?" He sounded slightly amused. "I'm not going to drink your blood. I just want to take you out and get to know you better." He paused before adding, "You've been on my mind since the first day we met."

Sakura gave him an incredulous look. "If I may be so frank, I highly doubt that."

Syaoran raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

"We've been in almost every class together since you transferred here from China during our first year and this is the first time you've ever spoken to me."

Syaoran's face fell. "Oh."

Sakura clutched her textbooks tighter to her chest, feeling uncomfortable to be talking to him. "I'm sorry, Li-san, but I best be going now. I can't be late for class."

"Well, wait," he said, side stepping her to block her once more. "Why don't I walk you to class? We 're both heading the same way, right?"

"Yes, but I'm really fine. I can make my way there on my own," she said as she tried walking again but Syaoran blocked her once more.

"It's no trouble."

"It's really okay."

"I insist."

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline."

"Come on, we can get to know each other better this way."

Sakura looked down at her shoes, wanting to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry, Li-san, but it's better for you if you don't get involved with me." With that, she finally was able to pass him and quickly made her way to her next class. Syaoran was left standing there watching her retreating figure.

"Well, well, well," said a voice behind Syaoran. He turned to find Kou leaning against the wall, smirking. "Not so easy, huh?"

Syaoran smirked. "This only just beginning. Don't worry; I'll make her fall in love with me."

Kou shrugged and turned to go to his own class. "If you say so."

Syaoran frowned. _I'm not giving up. She'll fall for me, you'll see. I'll definitely win, no matter what. _Syaoran turned back just in time to see Sakura turn the corner. Syaoran smirked. "This will be interesting."

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><p><strong>Bet On It<strong>

by

**Troy Bolton (Zac Efron)**

from

**High School Musical 2**

Well there's chapter one. I hoped you liked it. This chapter was just screaming at me to post it so I thought, why not? This is story is going to be different than anything I've ever written before which will challenge me in new ways. I know I always say that but it's true. I love exploring my writing abilities with every new story, and chapter, I make. Some of the events that happen (especially to Sakura) have happened to me but I will not reveal which ones. I hope you stick by me till the end. Thank you for taking the time to read it and I would appreciate some reviews. Also, this whole fanfiction, like I said, will contain one song per chapter. If you would like a song to be included, you can suggest one in a review or PM me and I'll listen to it and consider. If it doesn't fit the story well, sorry to say but it will be cut. Though I'd love to hear what you have to say. You guys help write my stories after all.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my dear friend, and someone I truly admire and hope to be just as amazing as, Wolf Blossom. She's an AMAZING writer and I still can't believe I'm her Beta Reader. ^-^ Today, November 28, is her birthday so please go to her profile and send her a PM wishing her a happy birthday. I realize I'm posting this late so come November 29th, it'll be a bit late, but oh well. I still wanted to give her something extra special and I already had this written sooooo . . . there you have it! I hope you have a good one!

I have a good chunk of the next few chapters written but I most likely won't post more on this story until I finish Crazy Mixed Up Love Square. Thanks once again. I love you all!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated November 28, 2011**


	2. Boyfriend

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 2: Boyfriend**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement: **Oh my gosh! Thank you all so so sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. You have no idea how ecstatic I am right now thanks to you all. So much so that I decided to post the second chapter early! I hope you all enjoy it! I can't thank you enough.

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><p>Sakura returned to the classroom to find a notice on board written stating third period was to be used as a study hall period. Sighing, Sakura turned around and exited the classroom; she didn't want to be in a room full of people who despised her for forty-nine minutes. On her way out, she accidentally bumped into someone.<p>

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. She knew better than to look at people in the eye in school which is why she always kept her head down.

The person scoffed rudely. "You best be watching where you're going, bitch," he spat.

Sakura nodded and continued walking to her destination. Syaoran, who was standing a few feet away, and had seen the encounter. He frowned at the sight. Is everyone always mean to her like that?

Dismissing the thought for the time being, he quickened his pace until he had fallen in step with her. "Hey," he greeted, swinging an arm over her shoulder.

Sakura jumped slightly at the sudden contact. She looked to see who it was and sighed, discreetly shrugging his arm off of her. "Hello," she answered timidly.

"Why aren't you in the classroom?" he asked, deciding it best to keep his hands to himself for the time being.

"We have study hall this period."

"Oh. So, where are you going?"

Sakura looked at her shoes as she walked. "The school library."

"What for?"

If Syaoran was getting on her nerves about then, she didn't show it. "To read."

"Why not read in the classroom instead of making two trips? I doubt that we'll have fourth period study hall as well."

"I'd . . . rather not," she mumbled.

They reached the library and Sakura found an empty seat on one of the couches near one of the ceiling-to-floor windows. Throwing herself down onto the seat, she opened her book and began to read, studiously ignoring Syaoran even as he moved to sit beside her. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her as she read.

"Why?" Syaoran asked after a while. "It beats being by yourself in the library."

Sakura shrugged. "I'd be alone anyway."

Syaoran frowned. "Don't you have at least one person to talk to in class?"

". . . No . . .," Sakura answered shyly, her eyes trained on the page.

"So no one at all talks to you? Ever?"

"They do . . ." Her answer hung in the air. She obviously didn't want to elaborate anymore on the matter but Syaoran was too oblivious to notice.

"Then why not talk to them for a change? You can't expect for people to always approach you first."

Sakura laughed a dry laugh.

"What?"

"You really don't know?" she asked, looking up to face him for the first time. Beyond his control, he felt his heart skip a beat as soon as their eyes met. The color of her eyes, he could tell, were a bit lighter than they actually were due to the refraction of her glasses lends. If he had to guess her eye color, it would be jade green. His favorite color. The color of the precious stone from his home country. "I thought you of all people would know; seeing as who you hang out with and what your status in this school is." Syaoran gave her a questioning look. Sakura sighed and turned her attention back to her book. "Look, it doesn't matter. I forgot that you transferred in late."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing."

Syaoran scooted closer to her. One hand rested on the back of the small, two-seated couch and the other cupped her chin. He turned her head to face his, his eyes boring into hers. "Come now, won't you tell me?" he asked huskily. His face was only inches from hers.

Sakura's breath hitched as she stared into his eyes—they were an amber color with a tint of gold. His normally cold eyes were burning with something Sakura couldn't decipher. Whatever it was, it had affected her; her body seemed to be turning to jelly. Her skin tingled where he touched her. At this distance, she could clearly see why so many girls loved him so. With his messy chestnut brown hair—she wondered if it was as soft as it looked, his absolutely flawless skin, his high cheeks bones and strong jaw line, his perfectly shaped nose, and his lips . . .

_Got you_, Syaoran thought as he caught her eyes lingering on his lips.

Just as he leaning over, Sakura snapped out of the reverie he put her in and went back to staring that the book on her lap. Once again, Syaoran felt the sting of rejection hit him. "I'm sorry," Sakura murmured.

"Don't be," he said softly, calling. Sakura felt herself turn her head to face him once more. As if his voice had the ability to put her in a trance-like state. "I know I'm irresistible," he finished, smirking.

That definitely snapped her out her it. She had almost forgotten how much of a playboy he was.

Almost.

Her eyebrows knit together to form a frown. She then proceeded to grab her bag and stood up. "Where are you going?" he asked casually, but remained seated.

"Somewhere free of egotistical heart-breakers."

"Hey, hey, hey," Syaoran said, "I have never broken anyone's heart."

"Oh really?" Sakura gave him an incredulous look. "What about all the girls you dated and then broke up with?"

Syaoran smirked. "Jealous?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "No."

"If you insist."

Not wanting to argue with him and put him on his bad side, Sakura spun her heel and began walking to another empty seat this time hopefully one that sat for only one. She stopped when she felt something pull her elbow back.

"Look, all those dates I went out on were just that: dates. Nothing more. I've never told anyone this but, I've never had a girlfriend," Syaoran said sheepishly.

Sakura turned back to face him, giving him a look saying— _yeah, right_. "Ever?"

"At least not one that has lasted over two weeks," he replied, smirking.

Sakura's lips pursed and she shook her head. "Good day, Li-san."

Syaoran swiftly moved to stand in front of her. "Hey, where are you going?"

Sakura looked down at her book to avoid eye contact, as she always did when it concerned someone showing they have power over her. At that moment, she felt something warm in her chest flare up; she looked up to face him, determination burning in her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry, Li-san. But if you plan to play with my heart to just toss it aside like all your other 'girlfriends', I'd rather this be the last time we see each other."

**x~X~x**

Sakura was able to make it through the rest of the day successfully ignoring Syaoran, much to his displeasure. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would down right ignore him or escape him. Where she went, he didn't know. And every time she did, he could see Kou casting a sly smirk his way. By the end of the day, he was frustrated and just stopped trying. Usually he just has to _look_ at a girl and she's his. He's never had this much trouble getting a girl and it was infuriating .

He then spotted Sakura walking out of the school gate with her cell phone to her ear. "Hmm . . .," Syaoran hummed, a wicked grin spreading on his face as he whipped out his own phone.

**x~X~x**

"How are things at school, Sakura-chan?" Sakura heard her best friend, and second cousin, Daidouji Tomoyo ask over the phone. "Are they still picking on you?"

"No," Sakura lied. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said in a warning tone. The same one her older brother, Kinomoto Touya, used to use when he lived with her and their father. He had moved away when he went to study in Tokyo University and was now working as a policeman. He had first been placed in Tomoeda once he finished school, but was unfortunately soon transferred back to Tokyo so he wasn't able to visit them often. Sure, Tokyo is close enough to Tomoeda but he could barely get a break long enough to visit them when it wasn't the holiday season and then some.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, exasperatedly.

"I know." Sakura heard Tomoyo sigh. "But I can't help but worry about you, you know? I can't be there to protect you or anything from here. And you're too nice of a person to stand up to them."

Sakura smiled. "I'm really fine. I can deal with it for a few more months."

"But who knows what they can do to you in the meantime," Tomoyo exclaimed, worry evident in her tone.

"I can handle it, Tomoyo-chan. I'm a big, big girl."

Tomoyo couldn't help but giggled at her adorable friend. "In a big, big world. You need a boyfriend or something to protect you from those jerks when I can't."

Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed, though mentally thinking, _Not this again_. Just then, Sakura heard a beep coming from her end, she quickly checked it out and frowned. "Tomoyo-chan, I have another call but it's from an unknown number. Should I put you on hold?"

"Yes! It could be your future boyfriend!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "O-ho-ho-okay, Tomoyo-chan, whatever you say," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She pressed the call button to shift calls. "Hello?" she answered.

"So how about that date?" the caller asked in a confident, yet cocky, tone. Sakura frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on; don't tell me you forgot about me already."

". . . Li-san?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Correct-o-mundo."

"How—how did you get my number?"

"I have my sources."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "And what part of this did you think would make me want to go out on a date with you?"

"I was hoping you'd hear my enthralling voice and agree." She could practically see him smirking.

"Don't keep your hopes up," she muttered, half hoping he hadn't heard that.

"Aw, and after I took the courtesy to walk you home?" she heard Syaoran say in a mock, hurt voice.

"What? You're not walking me—"

"Turn around, sweetheart."

Hesitantly, Sakura turned her head and her eyes widened. Syaoran was standing a few feet away from her, phone in hand and that annoying superior smirk on his face. He curtly waved at her and she almost dropped her phone. She swiftly turned around and quickened her pace. "Get lost," she muttered before hanging up on him and shifting the call back to Tomoyo. "You still there?" she asked her cousin.

"Still here," she responded. "Who was it?"

"No one. Just this stupid playboy at school who unfortunately decided I would be his next victim." She heard Tomoyo giggle. "Tomoyo-chan, it's not funny!"

"Just give him a chance, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo sad. "I doubt this will happen again. Not after you-know-what. Besides, maybe you can change his flirtatious ways."

Sakura pouted. "Please, Tomoyo-chan, he's nothing but an egotistical, heartbreaking, good-for-nothing jerk."

"I resent that."

Sakura jumped and gave a yelp at the sound of his voice whisper in her ear. So much so that she really did drop her phone this time. She could hear Tomoyo's voice calling out to her in concern. _How did I not sense him right behind me?_ she thought as she picked up her phone. _More importantly, how much did he hear?_ She quickly recomposed herself and picked up her phone. "Hey, Tomoyo-chan, I'm still here," she reassured her best friend.

"What happened? I heard you yell."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "It's nothing. The so-called jerk decided to stalk me home is all. I didn't sense him come up behind me."

"I told you I'm not a jerk and I'm not stalking you," he cut in. "I'm just merely making sure you get home safely."

"Was that him?" Tomoyo asked. "He sounds cute."

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura hissed. She cast a glance at Syaoran. His smirk told her he heard what her best friend said.

"I like her," he commented. "She has very good taste in men." He heard Tomoyo giggle on the other line.

Sakura put a hand over the speaker. "If you'd like her instead, good luck. She already has a boyfriend and she's currently in England."

"And when has a girl having a boyfriend ever stopped me?" Sakura scowled. "Besides, I'd much rather have the one standing before me."

Sakura sighed and put the phone back to her ear. "Tomoyo-chan, can you please stop encouraging him? It's bad enough that he wouldn't leave me alone all day. He's part of _their_ group, you know."

"So what?" Tomoyo said curtly. "And are you ever going to tell me what this mystery person's name is, Sakura-chan?"

Before Sakura could answer, Syaoran took hold of her hand holding her cell and brought it up close enough to his mouth to speak. "Li Syaoran, at your service."

"Li? As in Li Yelan-sama's only son?"

Syaoran grinned. "The very same."

"Well, Li-san, my dear cousin seems to harbor some animosity towards you. If could tone it down a bit I would be much appreciative."

"You should know I don't do things halfway."

"If that's the case, I ask you take good care of her then. She doesn't need to be with someone who will not be willing to really love her and make her feel safe. She's been through a lot and if you're not truly serious about her I ask that you leave her alone."

Syaoran frowned. That's almost the exact same thing Sakura had said in the library. "I can assure you that I really am quite intrigued by your friend," he said, glancing at Sakura, whom was almost physically gagging at their overly polite way of talking.

"For your sake, and hers, I hope you're serious."

Syaoran felt Sakura tug her hand, obviously wanting her phone back. "I'm afraid our conversation has to be cut short. Sakura-chan seems to want her phone back."

Tomoyo giggled. "All right. Later then, Li-san."

"Don't call me 'Sakura-chan,'" Sakura hissed before resuming her conversation with Tomoyo. "Sorry about that, Tomoyo-chan."

"Don't be," she said. "I approve."

Sakura's jaw slightly dropped. "What?"

"I said, I approve. Jeez, Sakura-chan, you need to clean your ears." Tomoyo giggled.

Sakura was momentarily stunned. "I-I am not going to go out with him."

"Aw, come on," Tomoyo whined. "When was the last time you had a boyfriend?"

"Never. And you know perfectly well why."

"Then take this opportunity!"

"Yeah, Sa-ku-ra-chan," Syaoran whispered in her ear. Sakura backed away from him and shot him a glare.

"You, go home, and you," she said to Tomoyo, "stop trying to get me to go out with him!"

"Please? For me?"

Sakura could practically see Tomoyo's puppy dog face. "And how is _me_ going out with him beneficial for _you_?"

"I get to see you happy for once, duh," Tomoyo said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can't even see me," Sakura retorted, laughing.

Syaoran felt a small tug on his lips as he watched Sakura. Her laugh was unique and different and . . . _Cute_, he thought. _She looks better when she laughs_. Instantly realizing what he said, or thought, Syaoran shook his head to get rid of it. _What am I saying?_

"Come on. Will one date kill you?" Tomoyo asked, still trying to persuade Sakura.

"If it's with him, yes," Sakura deadpanned.

She heard Tomoyo give a huff. "One date, Kinomoto Sakura. Just go on one date with the boy and then I'll let you decide what to do afterwards. If you feel something there, give him a chance. If not, I won't pressure you to do anything otherwise and you can do whatever until he leaves you alone."

"I'm pretty sure that he won't leave me alone."

"You don't know that."

"I got a glimpse of it, Tomoyo-chan." She eyed Syaoran suspiciously. "He's very persistent."

"Then just go out with him to put him out of his misery. He'll keep bugging you until you do anyway," Tomoyo reasoned.

Sakura cast a glance toward Syaoran. He was looked down at her; clearly enjoying their conversation. Seeing her consider Tomoyo's proposal in her eyes, he gave her his best innocent smile to seal the deal. She gave an audible sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll go on one date with him. But only one." She emphasized the last part directed towards Syaoran.

Syaoran smiled victoriously.

"You won't regret it, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo sang.

"For your sake, I hope not 'cuz I'm blaming whatever happens on you. Do you understand me, Daidouji Tomoyo?"

"Sure, sure, whatever. Hey, Eriol's calling now so I have to go. Enjoy your time together while you can and I'll text you later to help you choose your outfit. Ja."

"Ja ne, Tomoyo-chan." With that, both girls hung up. Sakura sighed as she put away her phone.

"You're different with her," Syaoran commented out of the blue.

"Hoe?" Sakura looked at him, her head tilted in confusion.

"You're different," he repeated. "At school, you're really quiet and reserved. You barely talk to people. But just now—" He smiled. "Just now you were outgoing and carefree. At school, you'd never have told me to go home much less glare at me." Sakura blushed. "I liked it," he stated. "Why not be like that more at school?"

At that her smile fell. "I can't let my guard down there," Sakura answered. "Only when I'm with someone I'm close to or feel comfortable with is when I can really relax."

"How come?"

Sakura cast a glance at him before returning to watch her feet move beneath her. "You wouldn't understand."

"I could if you'd tell me." His voice held no hostility whatsoever. As a matter of fact, his voice was soft and caring.

Sakura and Syaoran stopped at the foot of a small, waist high black gate. Having assumed it was hers, Syaoran looked up to find a two-story, yellow house. It had a warm, cozy, homey, full-of-life feel to it. Something delightfully different from his large, cold, many times empty mansion of a home.

"I'm sorry, Li-san. But I don't think I can trust you just yet. I still think you have a secret motif for asking me out," Sakura said honestly as she opened the gate. "I'm only doing this for Tomoyo-chan."

"You know, I wasn't lying when I said you were intriguing," he said placing his hands on either side of the gate before she could slip behind its safety, trapping her between him and the small black gate. "I really do like you," he said above a whisper, hoping to sway her.

It didn't work.

"You only like me because I'm not groveling at your feet like other girls in school." she stated—not at all intimidated by his close proximity.

Syaoran gave a soft (sexy) chuckle. "Partially," he said. Sakura's poker face remained strong. "Oh come on, you're prettier when you smile," he said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear to see her face better. "Won't you smile for me?"

"I'm sorry, Li-san," Sakura said, "I really must be getting home." She gave a push on his chest to try to free herself from his human cage.

"You are home," he said innocently.

"I mean physically get inside the house. It's really cold out here," she said, trying to push him slightly again so she could escape into the safety of her home.

"Don't you want to invite me in, then?" he asked, his fingers tracing down the side of her face until they cupped her cheek.

"N-not really," she said as nicely as possible. She still wasn't convinced that he asked her out because he simply wanted to and she wasn't about to melt to his every whim.

"Why not?" he asked, placing his free hand over one of hers which were still on his chest, trying to pry him off.

Sakura held back the urge to glare at him. "Please let me go. I really need to go and study. We have another big test tomorrow."

"Is that really all you do? Study?"

"So what if it is?" She sounded offended.

"Then you really need a date," Syaoran said. "Lucky for you, your first date will be with yours truly."

Not wanting to deny the truth about him being her first date, Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're full of yourself, you know that?" She gave another push at his chest but he made no move to budge. Stupid man-muscles.

Syaoran laughed whole-heartedly. "There's nothing wrong with being confident."

"No, but there is when you're arrogant and cocky. You _do_ know the difference, don't you?"

"Of course, beautiful," he said.

Sakura stopped trying to pry him off and stared into his eyes, searching to some sort of truth behind his words. He had called her beautiful. But why? Giving him a final shove once she felt him relax, she quickly slipped behind her gate and shut it. "What did Tomoyo-chan say to you?" she asked, turning back to face him.

Syaoran looked at her, almost ashamed. "What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed a tired sigh. "I'm telling this once more, Li-san," she said rather peeved. "If you're not serious about me, give up now. I'm not worth your time, I promise you that."

"And why would you say that?" he asked, rather bemused. "I must have _some_ interest in you if I ask you out, right?"

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. She was getting tired of all this nonsense. Slowly her head drifted towards the ground, a sad look in her eyes. "You'll just be disappointed," she said barely in a whisper. "There's nothing special about me."

"Wanna bet?"

Sakura's head snapped up to meet with his. "Hoe?"

"I bet you I can find at least one thing that's special about you in say, two months?"

Sakura looked back at her shoes. "I don't know . . ."

"You should know that I never lose a bet. Just open up, let me get to know you. It's not that hard."

"I—" Sakura's gaze met his, searching his eyes for any suspicious falsity. And there is was again; his amber brown eyes glistened with something she couldn't quite decipher. Sakura sighed. "When's the date?"

Syaoran grinned. "Friday at seven. I'll pick up, okay?"

Sakura hesitated for a moment. Then she said, "Okay. Deal."

* * *

><p><strong>Boyfriend<strong>

by

**Big Time Rush**

from

**BTR album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 1**

**DetectiveKid95** I hope this chapter cleared that up for you about Tomoyo. I was about to tell you but remembered that it was in chapter two and apparently PMs are disabled in your account so I couldn't respond to you personally. But thanks for reading it. I'm so glad you like it so far. I'll try not to disappoint.

**James Birdsong **Maybe? You're hard to please, aren't ya? :D

**SyaoSakuLovers** Thank you so much! Your review was actually the deciding factor on whether I would update today or not. At first it was going to be 10 reviews but they just kept on coming in and I was so overwhelmed. I didn't even dream it would reach 20 but it did. So thank you. =^~^=

Chapter 2! I hoped you liked it and boy did I make it long for you guys. Thank you all so so sooooo much. I never expected it to get such an amazing response. I mean 20 reviews for chapter 1? That's a new record for me! I can't thank you enough, you have no idea. You guys have really made me so happy. Thank you for the reviews and favorites and alerts. Seriously, every time I checked my e-mail it was flooded with them and I was like, "Dang! They actually like it!" I'll try not to disappoint you guys, I really will. I owe you everything so I hope I meet to your expectations. Thanks once again. I love you all so much. Please continue to support me.

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated December 2, 2011**


	3. Himitsu

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 3: Himitsu**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Oh my gosh! Thank you all so so sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts . . . again. I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting but I'm on break until the New Year now so hopefully I'll update more. This chapter is dedicated to my big sister for her 20th birthday. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Sakura entered her house, giving out a sigh as she closed the door behind her. Her encounter with Syaoran still fresh in her mind. She covered her face with her hands and groaned. She was already regretting her decision on going on a date with him.<p>

"Sakura, is that you?"

The sound of her father's voice snapped her back to reality. She shook her head to get rid of the thought. "Yeah, it's me. I'm home!" she called out as she shrugged of her coat and replaced her shoes with her house slippers. Her cat, Kero, greeted her at the entrance of the door. She smiled and scratched behind his ears. She could smell something sweet in the air and made her way to the kitchen.

She paused at the long side table near the kitchen and bent down to smile at a picture frame of a beautiful woman in a simple forest green sundress with a golden yellow ribbon at the waist tied into a perfect bow behind her and a matching yellow sun hat on her head. The clear blue sky behind her as held her hat in place with one hand and smiled at the camera, her long slate hair billowing in the breeze.

"I'm home, Mom."

The woman's emerald eyes stared back happily. Sakura smiled once more before continuing to make her way to the kitchen. She dumped her bag on a chair and smiled at her father, whom was wearing a pink apron.

"How was school?" Fujitaka Kinomoto, her father, asked.

"Fine. I think I aced my math test today," Sakura replied with a smile.

"That's a good girl. I'm sure your mother would be proud."

"You really think so?"

Fujitaka stared at his daughter with kind eyes. "I know so."

Sakura smiled softly. Her eyes diverted to the picture frame again. "You have evening classes today, right?" she asked, returning her attention to her father.

"I do. So don't stay up too late or throw any wild parties."

Sakura laughed. "You know I won't."

"Would you like a snack? I just made chocolat au fondaunt."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Fujitaka smiled at his daughter as she ran around the kitchen gathering two plates, forks, and cups. He placed a piece for her on her plate before getting another for himself as Sakura poured them both a cup of tea—also made by her father. Sakura ate contently across her father on the dinner table, savoring each bite. Her eyes glanced at her mother's picture again and they softened as they stared at her beauty.

"She sure was beautiful, wasn't she?" she whispered. Her father didn't turn around to see the picture; he knew who she was talking about.

"She was."

At that moment she had a recollection of Syaoran's words from earlier. "Of course, beautiful." Sakura frowned at that. She knew she wasn't beautiful like her mother was. To be beautiful you had to be willowy and tall. When you were as short as Sakura was, just over five feet, you were cute. Not pretty or beautiful, but cute. And she figured her lack of height was just one of the things her peers taunted her for.

But even though Daidouji Tomoyo would always call her cute and film her with ridiculous outfits in the past, she couldn't see why she thought she was cute. She'd look into the mirror and find nothing "cute" about her. Her eyes didn't have the same shine they once did; instead they were a dull shade of green hidden behind her black, square framed glasses. Her thick but short layered auburn hair, although she was thankful that it was easy to manage, would easily get messed up if she didn't run a comb through it. Her body wasn't perfect; she was incredibly skinny but not to the point where her bones can be easily seen or be defined anorexic; but she never had any curves guys seemed to look for in girls nowadays. All in all, she could not find one thing that would cause the Li Syaoran to suddenly start perusing her.

"Do you not like it?" For the second time, her father brought her back to reality. His kind eyes showed concern through his rectangular glasses.

Sakura shook her head. "No, it's delicious; as always," she assured her father, smiling. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind that's all. There's an Advance English test tomorrow that I have to study for." She wasn't lying, they really did have a test the next day.

"Well don't stay up too late, all right? You need your rest. I know you want to do well in school but your health has to come first, understand?" Fujitaka said as he cleared her now empty plate, as well as his.

"Yes," Sakura answered, trying to make her smile as cheerful looking as she could. She figured it worked when her father returned her smile. As soon as he turned to face the sink, however, her face fell into a sad one. _If you only knew that I started again . . . I'm sorry, Dad_. Upon hearing the water run down the faucet, she immediately got up and rushed to the sink. "Let me do that. You need to prepare for your class, don't you?"

Fujitaka smiled lovingly at his daughter. "All right. Thanks, sweetheart. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry."

Sakura nodded. "All right, thank you. I'll be sure to eat it."

"That's my girl." He kissed the top of her head. "I have to go get ready now."

Sakura finished the dishes and went upstairs to take a shower and change into her pajamas—it wasn't as if she was going out anyway. She wore a pair of long pink and white, flower patterned pajama pants and a simple bubble gum pink V-neck shirt that came with the pants. Once all cleaned up, she went back downstairs to eat something before starting on her homework. Just as she was heating up her food, however, she heard her father come downstairs. Clad in a simple light brown suit, matching trousers, a white button up shirt and a deep red tie, he smiled at his daughter. He walked over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be back later tonight. I'm sorry for always leaving you alone like this."

Sakura shook her head. "It's alright. It's not like you have evening classes every day."

Sakura walked her father to the door with his lunch—dinner—box in hand, which she had warmed up before hers, and his briefcase. She handed him the square box wrapped in a striped cloth and case as soon as he had his shoes on. Fujitaka smiled thankfully at his daughter, accepting the box.

"Make sure to eat all of it," Sakura said cheerfully.

"You as well."

Sakura's smile faltered a bit, though quickly recomposed herself and laughed. "I will, don't worry."

Fujitaka returned her smile. "Take care."

Sakura nodded and waved. "Goodbye. Be safe." She stood out there until her father's car disappeared around the corner before going back inside.

_So even you haven't forgotten, have you, Dad?_

**x~X~x**

Sakura felt herself being thrown against the wall. Her shoulder crushed against it causing her to feel severe pain shoot through it. She bit her lip to stop herself from yelling out in agony.

"Listen here, whore, stay away from Syaoran. He doesn't deserve someone like you," spat Hanako.

Hanako Minagawa was one of the many girls who was in love with Syaoran. But unlike most of them, she was the one to have an actual chance with him. She had long bleached blond hair—which admittedly looked better on her than her natural black hair—was tied down in two low pigtails that perfectly defined her heart shaped face. Her fair completion was always covered with light make-up; not enough to be noticeable but just enough to enhance her natural beauty. And her icy blue eyes, although a beautiful shade, stared daggers in Sakura's direction causing her to shiver under her murderous gaze.

She had a beautiful face with a perfectly shaped body to match. She was the only other girl, besides Sakura, to have ever turned Syaoran down. But unlike Sakura, she enjoyed him chasing after her—even though they both knew it was all for fun. The whole school was convinced that if Syaoran ever settled down with someone, it'd be Hanako. She was beautiful, popular, rich, anything a guy could ask for—and she knew that and used it to her advantage; something she and Syaoran had in common. Of course they have dated before and she was the only one that lasted for more than a month before they broke up, though they still flirted with one another now and then. She was the Barbie doll of the school while Sakura felt like the Raggedy Anne.

"Are you even listening to me?" Hanako seethed, her perfectly manicured nails digging into Sakura's frail skin when Sakura didn't answer. "You're nothing but a fat, ugly little slut. I will not allow you to be with him. He needs someone from his own social class—someone like me. Honestly this school would be so much better off if you weren't here."

Not even twenty-four hours later and people are already hounding her about her and Syaoran. And she thought she could escape all this if she went to school early. She wanted to tell them wrong; that she wasn't the one who came onto him but the other way around . . . but who would believe her? She knew they'd laugh at her and do possible worse things to her than they already have. So she kept her mouth shut. She simply nodded in acknowledgement toward Hanako. The girl sneered and let her go and Sakura forced her legs not to give out on her as she felt them wobble beneath her.

Finally finding her voice, Sakura gave Hanako her best kind smile she could muster and said, "You are much better suited for him than I am. I would never try to interfere with that."

"For once, we both agree on something." With a flip of her hair and snap of her fingers, Hanako and her pack of girls left Sakura alone in the hallway. The small snickering crowd that had formed prior to the confrontation now began to disperse. As soon as the hall was empty, her legs gave out and she slumped to the floor. Her whole body trembled with fear.

Sakura knew all of the witnesses agreed with what Hanako had said. Though she was still confused as ever as to why Li Syaoran asked her out, even Sakura agreed with Hanako. Who was she to think that she could actually be with Li Syaoran? That he could actually be interested in her? It was simple: he wasn't. Somehow, Sakura knew that to be the truth. So then why could she still feel his phantom fingers on her chin? Why did her skin still burn where he had touched her yesterday in the library simply by recollecting the memory? And why did she feel hopeful when he told her he'd find something special about her? Was it because she wanted, for once, to know that there really was something special about her? And that someone else, especially if that someone is as influential as Li Syaoran is, thought so as well?

Sakura sighed and shook her head. She had enough trouble trying to decipher the whole situation yesterday to come to no definite conclusion, and she really needed to focus on her Advance English test for later on in the day. She had time to do a little bit of extra studying between classes to make sure she had every bit of information secured in her brain. Anxiety filling her, her left hand instinctively flew to her chest to grab the golden star-shaped necklace; a pink circle surrounded the perimeter of the star, small white wings at either side of the star which connected with the circle, and a pink key-like bottom, which hung from a solid white-gold thin chain which rested just a bit lower from her collar bone. It was one of the few mementos she had left of her mother. According to her father, it was first given to Nadeshiko Amamiya, her mother, when she was born whom gave it to Sakura when she was born, saying that she was the key to her star above.

Nadeshiko had always been frail and producing two children had taken a toll on her body. She lived three happy years after Sakura's birth before her body gave out and she died. Ever since she was old enough to know about the necklace, Sakura was determined to never take it off and always keep it safe. As she grew up, she went to it for luck, whenever she was stressed over a test, for example, she would give a small prayer holding the star key in both hands, asking her now deceased mother to be her guide. At times, she would even hold her key as she "talked" to it, always addressed her mother. She felt closer to her in that way, when she talked to her, where ever she was; she could almost feel her mother's essence in the key held in her hand as she talked or asked for assistance. It may seem silly to other people, should they find out, but it meant the world to Sakura.

Sakura suddenly felt a searing pain all up her arm holding the key. She remembered how Hanako had slammed her against the wall. She tried lifting her hand only to have the pain increase. _Great_, Sakura thought, _how am I supposed to take notes or write at all today now?_ Biting her lip, she sucked in the pain and stood up, lifting her bag which had fallen with her in the process, though letting her injured hand dangle as to not put any unnecessary pressure on it. She figured she'd just have to be careful not to do any strenuous work today, or the rest of the week for that matter.

**x~X~x**

Syaoran walked into the classroom only to be swarmed with girls again. Except this time they weren't trying to get on his good side but demanding an explanation.

"What's going on with you and Kinomoto?"

"We saw you walking home together."

"You're not . . . interested in her . . . are you?"

"Oh, please say it isn't so."

"Have you seen her? I'm sorry Li-kun, but I don't think she's for you."

"You'd be much better off with me."

"Or me!"

"No, me!"

Related dialogue came from the girls causing Syaoran to blink trying to see what the whole fuss was about before he finally got it. Really girls made a fuss out of the smallest things. "Look, don't worry about it."

"But we saw you two together," huffed one of the girls.

Syaoran's serious amber eyes made contact with the girls' causing her to stiffen and immediately turn red. "And if I wanted to hang out with you, everyone would automatically assume we were dating?" He smirked and added, "I thought we were friends . . ."

The girl's blush turned a deeper shade, if that was possible. "I—we are. But . . . I mean . . . it's different with her."

Syaoran tried not to show his confusion. "Oh? And why's that?"

Before anyone could answer, the person of discussion entered the classroom, slipping between the crowds to get to her seat. Sakura felt eyes follow her every move but then again, that was nothing new for her, especially today when people obviously didn't accept her getting "special attention" from a certain brown haired boy.

The said brown haired boy turned to face the girls once more. "If you'll excuse me, ladies." With that, he casually walked over toward Sakura like it was the most normal thing in the world. The girls assumed he was just going to his seat, being it was behind Sakura's and all in the last row near the window, but their jaws dropped when they saw him sit down at his desk and tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. There was a unison of scoffs before they all dispersed to talk with one another before the teacher would come in.

Sakura turned around when she felt something, or rather someone, tap her on her shoulder. She inwardly groaned, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. Much to her despair, it was exactly who she thought it was. Instead of scowling, like Syaoran thought she'd do, she instead gave him a kind-hearted smile. "Good morning, Li-san," Sakura said softly.

"A very good morning to you too, princess."

Sakura decided not to respond and instead turned around to continue getting her materials ready for homeroom and first period. Syaoran noticed that she was only using one hand to perform the task, much to his confusion.

"Hey, is something wrong with your arm?"

Sakura stiffened slightly, which did not go unnoticed by Syaoran. Sakura turned back to him and smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing's wrong."

"Really now?" Syaoran's eyes were challenging, as if he dared her to prove him wrong once more.

"Yes," Sakura said, though her voice faltered a bit.

Syaoran lifted his hand and poked her injured shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers. He noticed a flicker of pain appear quickly before going back to their usual . . . Emptiness? "You're lying."

"What? I am not," she said with mock horror. "I would _never_ lie to _you_."

Syaoran couldn't help but smile. _There she is_, he thought. His hand traveled from her shoulder to her neck and again up to rest on her cheek, her skin burning where the invisible trail he made and it took everything she had not to lean onto his touch. Sakura felt the heat rush up to her face, almost spreading across it from where his warm hand laid. Beyond her control, her heart began accelerating.

_Stop it_, she inwardly told herself.

"Won't you tell me? I want to know . . ."

"I'd really rather not." She complimented herself for not stuttering underneath his touch.

Before he could question her more, the bell rang and the teacher, Yukari Tanizaki-sensei came in. Sakura sighed in relief as he pulled back his hand, the kids around them scrambled to their seats.

**x~X~x**

Having struggled to write legibly despite her bad arm, Sakura smiled in satisfaction as she looked over her Advance English test. She was sure she had translated everything correctly and used the right tenses where it was appropriate. Noticing she was the last to finish testing, rather purposely again, she got up to turn in her paper. Just as she was walking back, the bell rang signaling the end of class and beginning of lunch. Immediately, the class sprang up and ran to get to the cafeteria early before all the good food was gone.

Sakura took her time to settle her materials back in her bag before lifting and placing it over her shoulder and grabbing her bento box; she learned to always keep her personal belongings with her at all times the hard way. She bid her teacher farewell before exiting into the hallway. Syaoran had stayed behind as well, mainly to wait for her again. He caught her going in the opposite direction of where the cafeteria was and frowned.

"You're going the wrong way," he announced.

Sakura turned around to find Syaoran there, his infamous superior smirk planted on his face . . . again.

Sakura simply smiled. "I know," she said.

Syaoran's face fell. "Don't you wanna want to eat?"

Sakura lifted her bento box for him to see. "I already have my lunch. Why go to the cafeteria?"

Syaoran shrugged. "I don't know . . . Don't you have friends you want to eat with?"

Sakura blinked and stared down at the floor, her bangs covering her eyes. There was a brief moment of silence before Sakura said, "I don't . . . I don't really have friends here . . . At least not ones that I'm particularly close to."

"Oh . . .," was all Syaoran could say. "Well . . . would you like to eat lunch with me?"

Sakura's head snapped up to meet his, her eyes wide with surprise. "I—I can't."

"Why?"

"I . . . kind of like to be alone . . ."

Syaoran frowned. "No one likes to be alone all the time."

"Well . . . maybe I do . . .," she said rather defensively.

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

Syaoran shrugged. "Just wanting to get to know you better."

"You're better off not knowing anything."

There it was again; she was closing herself off from him. What was it that she didn't want him to know? Suddenly he remembered something she said about the people he hung out with . . . "You not like my friends? Is that why you don't want to eat with me?"

". . . Kinda," she said shyly. Syaoran had to admit, she looked kind of . . . cute when she blushed.

"They're not going to bite," Syaoran said, trying to convince her to eat with him. Doing so would definitely show Kou and the guys that he was on the right track, if anything. "They're not as bad as you think."

Sakura turned her head towards the window to her right, her eyes looked distant. "Then you obviously don't know them well enough," she said softly.

Syaoran almost didn't hear her. "What was that?"

Sakura blinked and stared back at him before smiling, she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "It's nothing. If you'll excuse me." Sakura bowed before turning around and dashing down the hall before Syaoran could say anything.

"Wait!" Syaoran called out and ran after her. Once he turned the corner he saw her go through, however, he found the hallway empty, almost as if she had never been there at all. Syaoran looked around, trying to see or hear any signs of her. He found none. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. _Where did she go?_

**x~X~x**

Sakura huffed as she ran into a clearing somewhere in the northern part of the school. She looked behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed. She had heard Syaoran yell after her and quickly ran down the steps before slipping through a door which lead to the outside. She kept running until she reached the clearing. Seeing there was no sign of Syaoran, or anyone else for that matter, she relaxed as she made her way to an elegantly carved white wooden bench which rested under an average sized cherry blossom tree. She smiled as she stared at the small pond a few feet away from the bench.

She had first found the serene spot early in her first year. She had gotten lost and bumped into Kou and his crew, who immediately took to taunting her. She managed to get away but had ran a little too far and found herself where she was now. No one was around so she assumed no one knew about it. As she visited the tranquil place more and more, she came to the realization that people possibly didn't know about it. She'd never seen anyone else but her here and it was in a part of the school where no windows would showed it and the door which lead to the clearing wasn't labeled so it was natural most people wouldn't bother with it.

Sakura breathed in a clean breath of fresh air. No matter what had happened at school, she'd come to this place and feel as if all her worries disappeared. It was a place she would always feel safe to "talk" with her mother without being scared of anyone seeing her. Lord knows what they'd think if they saw her talking to herself. Sakura stood up from the bench and walked over to the pond and knelled down to stare at her reflection. Despite her slender body, she saw nothing but a chubby girl staring back at her. Hanako's earlier words rang in her head:

"You're nothing but a fat, ugly little slut. I will not allow you to be with him. He needs someone from his own social class—someone like me. Honestly this school would be so much better off if you weren't here. "

Sakura felt tears form in her eyes. _I know that_, she thought. _I already know that. So then why am I so . . . affected just by his touch? I know it probably means nothing . . . _Sakura sighed._ Why can't he just leave me alone? If he knew how I was before, would he still like me? Or shun me out like everyone else?_

Sakura looked back at her reflection in the stilled water. Again, her figure seemed to widen the longer she looked. Voices of her peers making fun of her, her figure, how unattractive she was compared to them filled her head. She shot up and walked back to the bench. She dug inside her bag before finding what she was looking for; her metallic compass. Her hands quivered around the mathematical measuring tool, and not because of the cold air around her. She took her left glove off and drew up the sleeve of her coat and uniform to her elbow, not caring if she caused more pain to her arm in the process.

She lifted the compass with her right, the sharp point of where you would normally use as a reference to where the middle of the circle would be hovered over her now bare wrist. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and with a quivering hand, she ran the instrument over her skin. Warm red liquid immediately appeared and ran down her hand until it fell onto the frosted grass below. She felt the voices in her head disappear until there was nothing but silence in the area around her. She sighed in relief as she welcomed the silence. The wind picked up, rattling the leaves that still remained on the tree above. Sakura slowly opened her eyes and stared at the clear sky above.

"I know," she said to no one in particular. "I'm sorry, Mom."

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><p><strong>Himitsu<strong>

by

**Maaya Sakamoto**

from

**You Can't Catch Me album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 2**

If a name reads as "Anonymous" it means that you had not left a name for me to call you by.

**DetectiveKid95** LTM, it's okay! I'm still answering you here! Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed it. ^-^

**NaruHinaLovers** Ha ha. Wrong! But it's coming soon!

**reader (1st one to review)** Thank you so much! Sorry for the wait though. ^^' I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.

**Syao** Thank you so much, Syao-Syao!

**NeutronFreak62** Oh, I most definitely will!

**Anonymous** Hey! I'm sure it has but, um, no I don't remember you since you left no name to hint at your identity. ^^' But please let me know so we can catch up!

**anony** Aw, thank you so much! All will be revealed in little bits and pieces before it all comes together. I hope you continue reading!

**reader (2nd to review)** Yay! I'm so glad that you do!

**I lobster you** THANK YOU SO MUCH! ^/ / /^ Ha ha. I don't know if everything will be adorable but we'll see . . . I should be thanking you for reading and taking the time to review! =^~^=

Chapter 3! Another long one for you guys! Thank you for all the support you give. I never thought it'd get this great of a response. I'm truly, truly, incredibly thankful for every single one of you. I hope this chapter gave you a sense of what Sakura has been through and how it has affected her. But before any you ask me, no one has any magical powers in this fanfiction. They're all as mundane as can be. Also, if you want to know the English translation of Himitsu (which means Secret, by the way), it's posted on my profile so take a look if you're curious. It was the best song I felt described Sakura right now. I hope you continue to support me as we go on this journey together

Like I said up top, today is my big sister's 20th birthday; if any of you are in the abridging community or DeviantArt world may know her as Mana the Dark Magician Girl or on YouTube and Twitter ManaYugiohGX5D's. She's also the person abridging Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal in her account for it, ZexalTheDeal. I'm so proud of what she's accomplished and I know she'll continue to work more and more on the things she loves to do. I hope I can be as a great of an artist as her but until then, I shall be focusing on writing, which is another form of art too. =^~^= I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated December 20, 2011**


	4. Believe In Me

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 4: Believe In Me**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. I appreciate each and every one of you. And, it might be a tad late but, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

* * *

><p>Sakura sneaked into the hallway, having just gotten out of the girls room. She had quickly finished her lunch before heading to the girls bathroom to wash her bloody arm and throw away the several paper towels she took from her house to wipe most of the blood. She didn't do it often, but when she did she always made sure to have something disposable with her to clean up the "evidence" with. Her body had already begun the healing process on her wrist as the blood had dried up, making a temporary scab on her skin.<p>

Even though it was December, making the winter air possible for her to cover the scars on her arms with the long sleeved uniformed shirt and coat, she still felt paranoid that someone would see them. She didn't want a repeat of what happened when her two best friends and family found out. Thus, whether rain or shine, hot or cold, she always made sure to cover her scars with make-up. Though she knew her peers probably wouldn't give as much as a second thought, if they saw, it was better to be safe than sorry for Sakura.

_I know it's wrong, Mom, _she thought to herself, holding her star key to her chest_. But I can't seem to stop as much as I can stop them from bullying me. It's been the same as always every day as when I was younger. Old habits die hard, huh? _

She collided with something hard and looked to, regrettably, see Kou before her. Seeing her, he smirked, the one she knew oh so well.

"Well, well, well," he started, "if it isn't the ugly duckling herself."

Knowing staying silent didn't sit well with him, Sakura managed to mumble a small "hello."

"Is that all I get? A simple 'hello?'" he teased.

"Hello, Akihito-san," she said, slightly louder, her voice uneven.

"I told you to call me Kou, did I not?"

"I guess—" Seeing his eyes flash darkly she quickly added, "I mean, yes . . . Kou-san."

His eyes returned to normal, much to her relief, and he smiled sickeningly sweet at her. "Much better." He walked away then, leaving Sakura utterly stupefied.

_That's it?_ she thought. _No banging me against the wall? No begrading me? No hitting?_ Deciding to count her blessings, she shrugged the thought away and continued walking to class; the bell was set to ring soon.

Once she arrived to her assigned classroom, she found, much to her displeasure, Syaoran already seated. Upon seeing her, he shooed the girls away before giving her that annoying superior smirk of his. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she crossed the room before dumping her textbooks on her assigned desk and bag on the floor next to it. She commenced getting ready for the first class of the afternoon when she felt a light tap on her injured shoulder. Sakura grimaced before plastering a smile on her face and turning to him.

"Yes?" she asked, as politely as possible. She saw Syaoran's elbows were on the desk and his chin rested on his open palms, his fingers curled around the frame of his beautiful face. His amber eyes were dancing playfully as he looked at her.

"Where were you at lunch?"

"Eating."

"Where?"

Sakura gave him a mysterious smirk. "Don't worry about it." She turned back around to continue her task and before he had a chance to retort, the bell rang. Thinking he could squish in some more of their conversation before the teacher would come in, he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when the door slid open; the teacher entered. Grumbling, he sunk back into his seat. Sakura, having heard him, smiled inwardly.

**x~X~x**

Sakura opened her eyes. It still looked dark outside her widow, but her chiming alarm clock (ringing for the fifth time now) stated that it was time to wake up. Sighing, she turned off the alarm and reached for her glasses and slipped them on. She threw her feet over the edge of the bed and slid her feet into her house slippers. She rolled her injured shoulder back a few times to feel any lingering pain. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it was yesterday, making daily tasks slightly easier for her today.

She stood and made her way to her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth before returning to her room and to the hanger on one of the doors of her closet in which her uniform neatly hung. Stripping her pajamas, she changed into her school uniform and ran a brush to her hair. Deciding not to bother to do anything special with her short hair, she set the brush down and stared at herself through her full-body mirror. If she stared at her reflection long enough, she'd see herself start to expand once more.

Tearing her eyes away from herself, she scanned the room for her backpack, textbooks, iPod, and phone. She unplugged her phone from its charger and transferred it safely into one of her school bag pockets.

Plastering a smile on her face, she made her way down to cook breakfast for herself and her father. Fujitaka usually didn't get up until a few hours after she left for school when he had evening classes the previous day, but Sakura always made sure to have breakfast ready for him for when he did get up. Cooking up some scrambled eggs with ham mixed inside and some toast, she, at the same time, made herself some rice balls and a few octopus shaped sausages and made sure to leave some extras for her father for their lunch.

Having finished her breakfast, she quickly washed her plate before grabbing her bag and textbooks and making her way to the front door. She changed her house slippers to black, furry boots and slipped into her usual light brown coat and mittens. She made sure lock up the house before heading off to school. She pulled out her iPod and slipped on her earbuds before pressing the shuffle button. She preferred listening to music than to the hurtful words of her peers. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the road head. _Everything will be all right._

The cold air pierced her skin. Although her coat kept her warm, her face was still exposed and she couldn't very well break dress code, so she had to wear her uniformed skirt and just deal with cold legs as well. She hugged her textbooks and continued walking.

Upon reaching a small bookstore near her school, she stopped and looked through the display window. It was still dark inside, indicating the owner hadn't arrived yet. She peered inside for any sign of new releases. The more popular ones would have been shown in the display window but it was all the same as it was last time she checked; nothing new for her to read. She made a mental note to come back later when the owner was in. Just as she was about to continue making her way to school, she caught her reflection in the glass. She thought she looked decent enough, but her peers would always think otherwise. She stared at her reflection and willed herself to smile, but all she could hear were voices of her peers ridiculing her in the past.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura flinched, almost imperceptibly, and turned the volume down before turning around. _I swear he's stalking me_, Sakura thought to herself, finding Syaoran standing just a few feet behind her. His hands were in his pockets and the light breeze seemed to ruffle his hair, making it messier than usual . . . in a good way.

"Just looking for something new to read," she answered, smiling. She had the urge to turn the music back up to drone him out but thought better of it.

"It's closed," he deadpanned.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know that, Sherlock. I was just checking the display window. The owner usually has new releases displayed there."

He sauntered over to where she was and cupped a hand to the window to get a better look inside. "The place looks ancient."

Sakura shrugged and turned to look at the bookstore once more. "I guess it's a little old but I like it. It has class, you know?"

Syaoran noticed a small smile tug her lips as she spoke. "You love books?"

"Of course!" she answered her smile widening. "You do too, right?"

He cocked and eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Sakura simply shrugged. "You just seem like the type."

Syaoran looked as if he wanted to say something but paused and instead said, "Let's go. We're going to be late."

Sakura glanced at her wrist watch. They had plenty of time to get to school by her calculations. "You go on ahead," she called.

Syaoran paused before turning to face her. "What, you don't want to walk with me to school?"

"Would your fan girls kill me if they saw us together?"

Syaoran had to smile at that. ". . . Maybe."

"Then I'd like to live for a while longer, thank you very much."

Syaoran chuckled as he made his way back to her. He unwrapped one of her hands from her books and held it in his. Sakura's hand was so small compared to his that Syaoran's capable dark-gloved one seemed to swallow hers up.

"Let's go," he said. "I won't let them hurt you, I promise."

"That's a big promise to make."

"I think I can handle it."

Sakura blandly smiled at him. "We'll see."

All through their walk, Sakura kept trying to disengage her hand from Syaoran's while he kept hers in place, not even breaking a sweat. Syaoran sighed.

"Will you stop?" he finally said, not at all trying to hide how annoyed he was.

Sakura stopped momentarily. "What?" she asked innocently.

"You should consider yourself lucky. Dozens of girls would do anything to be in your position right now."

"Why, because you're simply holding my hand?"

Syaoran gave her a sideways glance and grinned. "Precisely."

"Well, I'm not like those other girls," she stated, continuing to try to free her hand.

"I'm starting to get that," he murmured under his breath.

Sakura huffed in frustration when she realized her efforts were in vain. He had a tight grip on her hand and he didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon. "Can you please let me go? I don't want to cause trouble. What will the school say?"

"I told you, I won't let them hurt you."

"You clearly don't know the power of your own fans."

"And you do?"

"Better than you, apparently," she grumbled.

"So do you know what you're wearing?"

The question caught Sakura off guard. "For what?"

"Our date."

Sakura grumbled. "Oh, yeah, that."

"Hey, why say it like that?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because I'm honestly not looking forward to it."

"You don't mean that," Syaoran said. Sakura saw the school come into view and stiffened. Once more, she started trying to pry her hand off. Syaoran bent down so his mouth was directly parallel to her ear. "Just relax," he said softly.

Sakura sighed and nodded. Obviously he wasn't going to be letting go of her hand so she might as well suck it up and wait for the worst to happen. Too bad she couldn't reach her iPod to crank the music up—what with one hand holding her books and the other in Syaoran's clutches.

Even before they even stepped through the gates, she could feel every eye on her—on them. Almost like in the movies simultaneous gasps could be heard. Sakura merely kept her head down, her hair making a curtain to cover her face, hoping not to be recognized.

She only glanced up only once and immediately regretted it. She saw Hanako's icy blue eyes lock with hers. A look of dark mirth passed across Hanako's features. Sakura quickly dipped her head down once more, knowing Hanako was planning something sinister for her, if not later that day, later in the week or when she least expects it.

Thankfully, the shoe locker area was empty. She finally yanked her hand free and marched to her locker. She could feel Syaoran's stare as she switched from her boots to her school shoes. Before he could even ask what had come over her, she whirled to face him. "Why did you have to make me do that?"

Syaoran laughed lightly but his face slowly fell upon seeing her expression. Her eyes were glazed as if she were fighting back tears. "What do you mean?"

Sakura laughed, a sharp, unhappy sound. "You don't know, do you?" She scuffed. "Of course you don't, how could you when all you care about is yourself. Did you even think about how that would affect me?"

Syaoran frowned in confusion. "I don't under—"

"Yeah, you don't. You don't know the first thing about me, Li-san, because if you did, you would've just gone on ahead like I wanted you to and left me alone. That sort of attention was _exactly_ what I was trying to avoid and now . . . who knows what'll happen today."

"I . . . Sakura—"

"Don't call me that," she hissed. "I can't—I can't deal with you today, okay? Just do me a favor and leave me alone."

He watched her walk away. A part of him wanted to run after her and he didn't know why, but something kept him planted where he was. He knew he had pissed her off before, for instance the first time he first "walked" her home came to mind, but he's never seen her like that—never seen her look so . . . vulnerable.

"Quite a show you put on there, Syaoran."

Syaoran groaned. He _sooo_ wasn't in the mood for this. "What do you want, Kou?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much, just wanting to check your progress. Have you at least taken her out yet?"

"No." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I was about to but I doubt she'd do it now. What's with her anyway?"

Kou chuckled as he pat Syaoran's back. "You really need to pay more attention to the people around you. Everything's not always about you."

**x~X~x**

Although she received death glares, Sakura was surprised no one had gained up on her yet. Regardless, she always made sure to be near a teacher throughout the day and made sure to avoid Syaoran like a plague; getting to class just as the bell rang when necessary, so he wouldn't try to start conversation, and being the first to leave or getting up to have a friendly academic chat with the teacher. She spent her lunch break in her secret place, as always, and was glad to know she was the only one who knew of it. She kept wondering what was waiting for her. She knew she couldn't avoid them forever and it would be just about time until they caught her alone and vulnerable.

And yet, she couldn't believe she almost cried in front of Syaoran . . . Sakura sighed and covered her face with her hands, secretly wishing whatever they were planning to do to her would just happen already so she wouldn't stress herself about it anymore than she already had. She just wanted to get it over with already; she was physically exhausting herself from all the worry.

The end of the day came and Sakura could almost feel the inevitable approaching. She thought about going through the exits of where the Theater was, but thought better of it. She might as well get it all over with. Sakura made it to the courtyard and just before the school gates; a large crowd of girls blocked the only exit there; most likely waiting for her. It's now or never.

Sakura walked toward the school gate, head held high, and stopped a few feet away from the crowd of girls. She was surprised to find Hanako absent. She'd figured she would lead the entire thing, after all.

"Well, well, if it isn't the poor defenseless little lamb," one girl in the front sneered.

Sakura kept a calm complexion. "Please let me through. I have to go."

"So you can go cheat on Li-kun as well?"

"I never cheated on anyone and we're not even together."

"Oh, sure. And we're supposed to believe that he was the one who came onto you?" another girl retorted. "How dumb do you think we are? He wouldn't even give someone like you the time of day. You're not worth his time let alone his attention."

"But it's true. I wasn't even the one who approached him first. He was the one who talked to me first. And it's not like I'm the only one he's ever asked out—" Not giving her a chance to finish, the crowd exploded into a variety of insults directed at Sakura. A few boys joining in as well.

"Liar!"

"Bitch!"

"Filth!"

"Why don't you just die already!"

"You're giving the school a bad reputation!"

"Everything you say is a lie!"

"Are you really that desperate?"

Sakura simply stood there, eyes closed as she took in every insult. Her heart wrenched hearing such hurtful things but she didn't retaliate. For reasons unknown to the crowd, a small smile graced her lips.

One girl got too caught up in the moment and marched right up to Sakura. A stinging sensation on her left cheek caused Sakura to open her eyes. The girl had slapped her, still yelling profanities. Sakura kept her smile planted on her face.

"Stop smiling, bitch!" Sakura braced herself as the girl raised her hand to slap her once more, but it never came. It suddenly got quiet. A little _too_ quiet. Sakura opened her eyes to see Syaoran standing behind the girl, one hand wrapped around her raised hand, the other in his pants pocket.

He raised his head, a sharp, quick movement. There was something fierce about the gesture, something that reminded Sakura of documentaries she'd watched about lions on the Discovery Channel, the way the big cats would raise their heads and sniff the air for prey. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Sakura could see the girl quivering under his touch. They had never heard him talk with such fury before. "I—we . . .," the girl started.

Syaoran cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?" he repeated, slowly uncurling his fingers from the girl's hand.

"Kinomoto is a lying bitch, that's what," one girl from the crowd behind called out. Syaoran turned to face the general direction of where the voice came from. The girl who had slapped Sakura took the distraction to fade back into the crowd.

"Lying about what, exactly?"

One brave voice spoke up. "What else, about you and her. She claims that you're the one who approached her first."

"And we know that's not true, too, Li-kun. You'd never go for someone like her," another continued.

Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest. "So in other words, you'd pick on someone because they're simply defending themselves and telling the truth?"

The air went still.

Sakura's eyes widened; she couldn't believe what was going on. _Is he actually . . . defending me?_

The crowed suddenly exploded, seeking confirmation from Syaoran, as if they didn't believe their own ears the first time.

"Yes, all right? I'm the one who asked her out so just leave her alone. What did she even do to you anyway?" Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed hold of Sakura's hand once more and safely led them out of the school. "Let's go," he told her. The crowd separated to let them pass; they were all too stunned to even react to his actions at this point.

His hand was still on hers, the heat of them burning through her gloves. The wind was brisk outside, and had ruffled his chocolate brown hair as they had crossed the school courtyard. They walked in silence and Sakura didn't even bother to tell him to let her go, she too still stunned and in awe over what had happened only minutes before. They made it to the park near her house, the one she had to pass every day to get home. He dropped her hand and stopped walking. Syaoran turned to face her, there were splotches of sunlight coming through the trees above them, illuminating his eyes and the wind picked up, ruffling his hair once more. It made him look younger, and more vulnerable—and his eyes, too, were vulnerable, open like a door. The way he was looking at her, she never thought Syaoran could, or would, look at anyone like that. And yet, she couldn't decipher what exactly he was vulnerable for.

"Are you nuts?" he exclaimed, placing both hands on her shoulders. His eyes shifting from vulnerable to ones full of sharp bitterness. Sakura inwardly flinched over the weight of one of his hand on her injured shoulder. "Why would you willingly stand there and take all that shit?"

Sakura hugged her textbooks to her chest. "What should I have done, then?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe, um, _stand up for yourself_? Instead of standing there smiling! God, what was that even about?"

"It was your fault it got that way anyway. You should've just left me alone this morning like I wanted you to," she defended. "And contrary to what you believe, I was standing up for myself."

"No, you were standing there smiling like a fool. How is that standing up for yourself?"

"I was killing them with kindness," Sakura retorted quietly.

"You were _what_?"

"Killing them with kindness," she repeated, a little louder. "I don't need to stoop to their level to defend myself."

"From where I was standing, it looked as if you were provoking them more."

"Well, no duh," she deadpanned. "But if I show them how much it hurts, they'll really step all over me. So instead I smile and pretend it doesn't get to me. When things don't go the way they plan they get frustrated and don't know what to do so they leave. They get pleasure from my pain. At least when I smile at them they don't get the same pleasure of stepping over me rather than when I don't."

"And this is a daily . . . _thing_ for you?"

Sakura bit her lip and lowered her head. "Why would you even care?"

Syaoran released one of her shoulders, and raised his hand to touch her cheek—so lightly she thought she might almost have imagined it. Slowly, Sakura raised her head. "Did she hurt you? Your cheek is red."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm fine. It'll go away in a few minutes."

"Have you told anyone? A teacher maybe? They could've done something to stop it before."

"What could they have possibly done? Suspend them? They can't suspend the half school, Li-san."

"I doubt it's like that."

"Were you really just back there? That was practically the entire school's female population, and a few males, but that's not the point."

"And you can't tell an adult about it?"

Sakura sighed. "I can, but the most they can do is tell them to stop. Even if I choose to remain anonymous, they will know it's me and who knows what they'll do once I 'tattle' on them."

"Do you know why they target only you?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Peer pressure?" Seeing his confused expression, she elaborated, "They see what happens to me and they don't want that so they join in with the big kids to be on their good side by tormenting me."

"Then, do you know who those 'big kids' are?"

Sakura averted her gaze. "I think I know some of them . . ." The image of Kou and the rest of Syaoran's friends as well as Hanako and her posé rose up in the back of her mind. The look that Hanako had given her that morning still etched in her brain. Was the mob her idea?

She could feel Syaoran searching her eyes as he gently pushed his hand on her cheek to face him. He could tell she was hiding something from him. He could tell she knew exactly who they were but was keeping that information confidential. Her eyes were void if any emotion but at least that much he could tell. "I see," Syaoran said, and she could tell from his voice that he did see, more than she wanted him to. His hand which remained on her shoulder slid down her arm until it came in contact with her hand and grasped it. "Let's go, I'll walk you home."

"You don't have t—"

"I'm walking you home." That irritating superiority was back in his voice. Surprisingly, much to Sakura's relief.

Trying to shift her books comfortably in her free arm, she nodded. "Okay . . . if you insist."

Noticing her struggle with the books, he took them from her hand and tucked them comfortably under his free arm. "It's alright," Syaoran said just as Sakura was opening her mouth to complain. Sakura kept her mouth shut and they walked in silence to her house.

"Are you still up for it tomorrow?" Syaoran asked after a while. "The date I mean," he added.

"Yeah, why not?" Sakura answered. "I said I'd go. I'm not really one to back down on my word."

Syaoran smiled. "I'm glad."

"But you still know I'm only doing this for Tomoyo-chan, right?"

"Yeah, sure," he said dully. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," Syaoran let out a small smirk.

Sakura rolled her eyes but also let a small smile tug her lips when she thought he wasn't looking.

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><p><strong>Believe In Me<strong>

by

**Demi Lovato**

**_from_**

**Don't Forget album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 3**

**SyaoSakuLovers** Yeah! And after a while, chapter four! Um, not yet. She just finds him attractive, but then again, who wouldn't? XD So sorry for the late update but I hope you enjoyed it. And your English wasn't that bad. Thank you for taking the time to review!

**selsel** Not sure if I replied to you personally but I didn't see your name in the reviews page when I went to check for any anonymous reviews. So I'll just answer you here as I, luckily, saved it in my e-mail. Perhaps you changed your username or something? Anyway, here goes! Yeah, the ending was sad but I'm glad you enjoyed the long chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one as well.

Chapter 4 . . . finally! I'm sorry for the late update but I do wish you all a happy new year. Has it been treating you well so far? I've been insanely busy but I still managed to write in my free time and finally had the time to complete it. I tried making it another long one, though I had my doubts at some parts while writing; but I had to get through it quickly to update. I really hoped you enjoy it because this chapter really was a challenge to write.

Next chapter, however, is the one you've all been waiting for! The date! How will it go now that Syaoran knows Sakura is being bullied? Will it change how he treats her? Hmmm, so many questions that even I still don't know the answer of. Or do I . . .? XD Though I have the song all picked out, I haven't even been on an actual date let alone in a relationship so . . . ha ha, this'll be interesting, huh? For those who have had experience, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me how your first date went like or what you would like Sakura and Syaoran's first date to go like. Give me some ideas to work off of! Anywhoosits, thanks again so, so much. I'm so blessed to have readers like you. =^~^= I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated January 15, 2012**


	5. Say OK

**Middle of Nowhere**

By

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 5: Say Ok**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. I appreciate each and every one of you. I meant to update this on the 8th but it turned out to be longer than I anticipated and just now finally got to finishing it. This chapter is dedicated to one of the lovely members of CLAMP, Satsuki Iragashi. A very happy birthday to you . . . even though it's a little late (In case you didn't catch on, her birthday was February 8). =^~^= This is also a belated Valentine's day gift to you all. Explanations at the end as I feel that this chapter is long enough without my ranting. Without further ado, Chapter 5. Enjoy!

Sakura tread her way to school, yesterday's events still fresh in her mind. Not only over how a certain unnaturally beautiful brown haired boy had saved her from the mob of infatuated females (and a few males), but also over how gentle and caring he was afterwards when he confronted her in the park, disregarding the fact that he was yelling at her for her method of dealing with bullying, of course.

He was gentle when he touched her cheek, as if if he put too much pressure on it, it would crumble. She didn't think someone like Syaoran could, or would be so undeniably gentle. And the way he looked at her in the park . . . what could he have been thinking of while looking at her, while his eyes searched hers for answers? Did he find what he was looking for? Even if he had, he had shown courtesy enough to not question her more on the matter.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Sakura jumped when she felt something warm on her shoulder. She looked over it to see Syaoran standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. She instantly realized it was his hand which rested on her shoulder, and for some reason, it sent tingles running all the way up and down her arm.<p>

"H-Hi," Sakura managed to say, trying to look anywhere but him.

"What?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Are you that nervous about our date later today?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Of course not, I'm more nervous about how the school will treat me today after what happened yesterday."

Sakura saw Syaoran's playful smirk slightly turn into a compassionate one. Slightly. Sakura felt her cold hand get discreetly warm. It didn't take her long to realize he took her hand in his.

She glanced over at him just as he said, "Just stick with me; they won't bother you."

Sakura shook her head and slid her hand out of his. "You really need to stop holding my hand. People will start to think that we're together."

"And that'd be bad for you because . . . ?"

"Because we're not," Sakura said. "You saw what happened yesterday, your 'fans' wouldn't be able to accept it." She made air quotes with one hand on the word "fans."

Syaoran shrugged and started walking as he said nonchalantly, "You know you want to be."

"I know I want to be what?" she asked cautiously.

Syaoran looked down at her, a small smile as he spoke. "What else? My girlfriend."

Sakura had to stifle something between a cough and a choke. "I beg your pardon?" Syaoran gave her a look that said _well I can't blame you_." Thanks, but I don't want to be part of your never-ending list of broken hearts."

Syaoran looked straight ahead as they kept walking. His voice was so quiet and soft she almost didn't him say, "Who said you would be?"

Sakura pretended not to have heard him and tried not to look at him, afraid if she did, he'd know she heard him. And he did not need to see the blush creeping on her face, much to her resentment. She shook her head and mentally beat herself up for even thinking she could take his words to heart and cursing her increased heartbeat.

"We're here," Syaoran announced, bringing her back to reality.

Sakura looked up to see their school in view. "Oh." She hugged her books closer to her chest to prevent herself from shaking noticeably. Syaoran, however, caught on to this.

"Don't worry, as long as you're with me, they won't bother you."

"So . . . you're saying I have to stick by you the entire school day only to go home before spending another hour or so with you?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Why not?"

Sakura gave out a sigh, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. "Fine. But can I at least have lunch time to myself? Not everyone enjoys your constant presence, you know."

Syaoran casted her a sly grin. "You don't mean that."

Sakura smiled. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He couldn't help but grin at her. _So the girl has sense after all._

Sakura's steps slowed down a bit and Syaoran took notice and matched his pace with hers—she was obviously trying to stall getting to school in fear of having their fellow students catch them walking in together again. Thankfully, this time complied and kept his hands to himself.

She heard him whisper, "It'll be okay, don't worry."

**x~X~x**

Sakura was surprised to find that Syaoran kept true to his word. He stuck by her all day and even let her have lunch time to herself; he purposely stayed behind to make sure to be the last ones to leave the classroom before anyone could try anything. He didn't even follow her but instead both settled on meeting up again near a staircase—the one closest to the door which lead to her secret place, though Syaoran still didn't know about it—five minutes before the end of lunch bell rang. And sure enough, the most anyone did to her was glare daggers in her general direction, which was something she could at least handle. He even walked her home when school was over. No one dared approach her.

Once she got inside the safety of her home, she let out a long sigh and slumped on the coach as she reflected on her day. She didn't want to admit it, but it was one of the most pleasant school days she's had in a long, long time. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, when she heard a knocking at the front door. Sakura frowned as she got up. She was almost certain it couldn't be Syaoran.

She opened the door but no one was there. She looked down to find a box with her name on it—international shipping, that could only mean one thing. She took the box to her room after shutting the door and tore it open; a slip of decorative paper fell on the floor and landed at Sakura's feet. She picked it up and immediately recognized Tomoyo's elegant handwriting.

_Sakura-chan,_

_I know you'd probably wear some baggy clothes or something like that on this day. Well I, as your best friend, will not let that happen. This is your first date ever and no matter how it goes, you will at least look good through it all. I'll be waiting on Skype to help with your make-up and other girly things I know you don't like. Well today, you will have to love it, no objections. You will look good or I will die trying. Please tell me how it all goes after, okay? Best of luck! Love you lots!_

_- Tomoyo_

Sakura inwardly smiled as she read the letter. She put the letter down and reached into the box to change into the outfit Tomoyo had prepared for her. Her dress was a white spaghetti strap, pure silk dress which reached her mid-thigh with a zipper going down the front. There was a black lacy design going all the way around the hem of the dress and on either side of the zipper as well as the top of the V-neck collar near the breast area. Two black silky stripes crescendo down just above the waist and stopped at the zipper. Small white layers ran diagonally down the breast area from the top of the dress to the black stripes and a black plain under layer under it. The dress was beautiful and perfectly outlined her shape, or lack thereof.

Once she had it on, she booted up her computer and signed into Skype. Almost immediately she was bombarded with an in-coming call from Tomoyo.

"Eeeeee, you look so cute, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blushed and did a small twirl for Tomoyo. "It's so beautiful, Tomoyo-chan. Thank you."

"Did you find the accessories I put in there? They should be in a white box."

Sakura dug back into the box and easily found the aforementioned box. Inside were a pair of chain-like golden earrings shaped into bows, two bracelets—one was gold with three rows of small white diamonds all around and the other had three rows of quarter-sized loops connecting with one large—and a clear pink stone ring. There was also a necklace that had two golden chains swirling all the way to the hook for the first half of it and the second half had hooks on either side which connected to one row of pink pearls, one row of chained diamonds, and one row of clear round-edged stones the right hook was decorated with four small bells and the same on the left but with pink closed thin metallic flower pedals adorned on it. She also found a pair of black ballet slippers with a note on top saying, 'I know you how much you suck in heels.' Sakura smiled and put them all on—she was glad the bracelets covered up her scars.

"Make-up time!"

"Uh, Tomoyo-chan, I don't own a make-up kit."

Tomoyo sighed. "It's in the very bottom, under all the wrapping."

Sakura reached for the box once again and found it. Tomoyo really did think of everything. There were two. The first was a white box, filled with different beauty creams, sprays, foundations, and other "necessary" beauty products. The second was a flat black box. Sakura's eyes widened as soon as she opened it. There was every color and shade of the rainbow inside along with nude skin colors off in a section of their own. Off to the side were all the different brushes needed, mascara, eyeliner, etc. Sakura felt a second layer and lifted it up to find a variety of lipsticks and lip gloss colors. The every top was a mirror.

"Okay, I know you suck at make-up, even in Drama, and I can't very well go through this screen to do it for you, so I'll walk you through it as best I can, okay? Think of it as doing basic corrective but with a little flare. Just basically copy what I do." Tomoyo instructed. Sakura nodded in understanding. "I'll try to make is as simple as possible."

Putting the BB cream on was simple enough, but moving on to the eyeliner made things difficult. Sakura just couldn't get it on right, or when she did, she would open her eye too early to take a look and it smudged. Did Tomoyo really need to get her the liquid liner? After many (_many_) tries, Sakura finally had it, thanks to Tomoyo's patience and guidance. Once dry, since they had spent way too much time on just the eyeliner, Tomoyo had Sakura outline the very tip of her eyelids with golden eye shadow—to match Sakura's accessories, according to Tomoyo—so when she opened her eyes, you could see it cress atop of her eyes. Tomoyo had made her put on mascara, which made her already long eye lashes even longer, and add some blush to make her cheeks a bit pinker. They were cutting close on time so Tomoyo had her apply blossom pink lip balm and clear pink lip gloss.

Just as she was doing the finishing touches, Sakura's phone rang. As she was mentally debating to pick up or not, the call transferred to voicemail.

Tomoyo gave her a strange look. "That was him, wasn't it? Why didn't you pick up?"

"I—" Before she could finish her phone rang again, the same strange number showing.

"Well go on, answer it," Tomoyo encouraged.

Sakura bit her lip. "I don't know . . ."

"Sakura Kinomoto, answer the phone or so help me."

Sighing, Sakura snatched her phone and slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, I'm about five minutes away. You ready?"

Sakura sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be," she answered dully.

"Yeah, I'm excited too," he said, sounding as happy as her unenthusiastic response. Sakura couldn't help but utter a small chuckle. "See you soon."

"Yeah, see you." She was the first to hang up. "He said he'll be here in five minutes," she said when she noticed Tomoyo giving her an expectant look.

"Well, I guess I can't teach you how to straighten you hair. So just leave it down. Put a cute pin or hairband on or something." Sakura nodded and did as told. "By the way, is your dad okay with this?"

Sakura meekly smiled. "I actually haven't told him. I was going to today, but he called me during lunch saying he had to stay late to grade some papers. I'm sure I'll get back before he comes home."

"Well, all right. At least Touya-nii isn't there. He probably wouldn't even let you out of the house until the weekend passed."

Sakura laughed. "So true."

Not a minute later, she heard the doorbell ring. Sakura bid Tomoyo a quick heartfelt thank you and goodbye before turning her laptop off. She threw on a black jacket and grabbed her messenger bag full of everything she'd think she'd need, she made her way downstairs.

Giving herself one final look, she opened her door to reveal Syaoran standing there, hands in his black jean pockets, adorned in a white button up shirt with the few top buttons loose which seemed to define his muscles, a dark green jacket, a matching tie, and dark shoes. Sakura couldn't help but blush when she saw him. Certainly he always looked beautiful, but it was ridiculous how he could still look good when dressed so casually. He, on the other hand, seemed to do a double take once she opened the door. He thought he looked good but she—

"You look . . ." He struggled to find the right word to describe her. So many words popped in his head, none even comparing to how Sakura looked to him. "Great," he managed to say, and mentally cursed himself afterwards. Out of all the words . . .

"You look . . . great too," she replied, smiling.

Nodding, he had his arm bent out to her and he bowed slightly. "Ready to go?"

Sakura nodded and placed her hand on the inside of his elbow. "Ready."

Sakura noticed they were walking toward the shopping district of Tomoeda and before she knew it they were in line for the movies.

Sakura made a face at the rather traditional route he had chosen to take. "You're seriously going for the 'movie and a dinner' kind of date?"

"Why not?" Syaoran shrugged. "I thought you would appreciate a classic type of date."

"Well, as long as it's not a horror film, I don't mind."

"You should know this kind of date is simply not complete without one," he said as he stepped to the front desk. "Two tickets, please."

"Hoe! No, no, no, no, no," Sakura exclaimed. "I absolutely cannot handle horror movies."

Syaoran couldn't help but chuckle and he patted her head gently. "Aw, I didn't know you were quite the scardy-cat."

Sakura pouted. "I am not a scardy-cat."

"Mm hmm," he said, and made his way to the concession table and ordered one large popcorn and two cokes. She eyed the single popcorn suspiciously as she accepted the drink. "You don't mind sharing, do you?"

Sakura shook her head in response. It was already paid for, what could she say? "Li-kun, even though I don't have much experience in this sort of thing, I am aware of the typical moves a guy tries to pull on them. Dramas can be very informative on this sort of thing. So don't try anything funny, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." He handed the tickets to the usher and led them to the correct theater.

Sakura sat nervously as the previews rolled on the big screen munching on popcorn to help her nerves. Syaoran took notice and figured it was because of the genre choice; he hadn't yet asked her why she didn't like horror films. The lights dimmed and the movie started. Sakura gave a soft yelp.

Syaoran leaned closer to her. "Don't worry, it's just a movie. It's not real." She could only nod. When the words _'based on a true story' _appeared on screen Sakura shot a glare at Syaoran. He shrugged meekly in response.

A quarter into the movie, Syaoran started sneaking glances at Sakura. She didn't seem scared; instead she seemed bored. It was only after he saw her nodding off that he knew she was fighting against falling asleep. He gave a light chuckle that woke Sakura slightly. "What's so funny?" she whispered. Syaoran shook his head as if to say it was nothing. Sakura nodded and turned her head back to the screen, determined to see this through.

About five minutes later, Syaoran felt something hit his arm. A fluff of auburn hair tickled his nose as soon as he turned to see what it was. Sakura was clearly sound asleep. Syaoran smiled and sunk down deeper into his chair, careful not to wake her, and let her head fall onto his shoulder for a more comfortable position and returned to watching the rest of the movie. Syaoran blushed when he felt her head snuggle comfortably onto his shoulder. He was impressed with her sleeping skills; even with the people around them giving small yelps here and there, Sakura still managed to sleep through it all. Before he knew it, the credits were rolling and Sakura still hadn't given any indication of waking up. The lights started to dim up and people around them were making their way to the exit. He figured it would be a great a time as any to gently wake her up.

"Sakura-chan," he sang softly. She didn't react. He gently patted her head and tried again. Still nothing. Finally, he took a strand of her hair and tickled her nose with it. Sakura scrunched her nose and shook her head to get rid of the nuisance. Syaoran laughed softly at that.

"Sakura-chan," he said softly again. Sakura gave out a tired moan in response. "The movie is over now." Sakura groaned in response but made no move to wake up. "If you don't wake up now, I'll have to carry you out bridal style. Or could it be," he said, as slight smirk creeping the side of his lips, "that you'd like for me to kiss you awake."

Sakura stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked up to see a pair of intense amber brown eyes staring at her, a mix of mischief in them, growing steadily closer to her. It didn't take her long to remember where she was and who she was with. "Hoeee!" she cried out, a blush evident on her cheeks. She looked around the theater to save herself a few minutes to recompose herself. "W-where is everyone?" she asked, noticing the room was completely empty.

"They all left as soon as the credits started rolling."

Sakura looked towards the screen and saw the credits were still playing causing her to blush even more. She slumped back into her chair and covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's all right," Syaoran assured. He thought of making a smart remark at using him as her pillow but thought better of it. She was clearly embarrassed enough as it was. "Do you want to head out?" he asked instead.

Sakura shook her head. "I always stay until the end of the credits."

"Ah, to see if they added something at the end?"

"No," Sakura replied, staring ahead at the screen. "I do it out of respect to everyone who worked on the movie. Every last person deserves to be acknowledged for their work. So even if one person sees their name on the screen, it's proof that their hard work wasn't for nothing."

Syaoran smiled. He, like many others, left the theater as soon as the credits rolled and thought nothing of it. Sakura may be one of the few people who stayed, and at that, only to give respect to the cast and crew of the production. The way Sakura said it; it was a nice way of honoring everyone's hard work. He turned his attention back to the screen. "It's nice and all when you put it that way, but you know," Syaoran said, "it would be even more meaning and respectful if you actually watched their hard work too."

At that, Sakura hung her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled again.

"It's all right. I was only joking." Syaoran smiled noticing the credits were reaching the end. "Now come on, let's go before the maintenance people kick us out."

Sakura muttered a small "Okay" and followed him out. "So," Syaoran started, "where do you want to go eat?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really get out much—it's not like I have someone to hang with either."

"In that case," he said, "I know the perfect place." And lead her out the door.

**x~X~x**

Sakura gave him a skeptical look when she found them standing in front of a local diner. "And this is . . . ?"

He spread his arms wide open and answered, "Welcome to the greatest restaurant in downtown Tomoeda. They have the best food anywhere."

It didn't look like much—a brick building that looked like nature had done its work to shape it into what it was now. A neon sign read "open" at the door and below the time schedule for every day of the week and its name displayed on the roof. The roof looked like it had reached its limit. Thankfully, there was a long window in front to show a pretty packed house.

"It looks like an ancient cottage house out of some fairy tale book," said Sakura.

"But can Snow White's seven dwarfs cook up the best burger that will make you want to kiss your fingers? I don't _think_ so. Come on." He took her by the hand and led her inside.

Despite the rough exterior, it was pleasant inside. Cozy wooden booths were lined up against the wall, each one lined with brightly colored cushions and a few circular tables that sat from two to six people were scattered around in the middle. An endearingly wooden counter with a cream table top adorned the very back of the restaurant with two large doors behind, which most likely lead to the kitchen. Behind it stood a blond girl in a waitress's pink-and-white apron, nimbly counting change to a middle-aged man. Syaoran slid into a booth and Sakura moved to sit opposite him.

"Get anything you'd like, on me," said Syaoran, picking up his menu. Sakura silently picked hers up too, and perused the perfectly ordinary—obviously American style inspired—menu selections with a feeling of stupefaction. They had practically everything; it was all too much to take in.

She looked up once to see him studiously weighing out his options. Behind him, she saw two teenage girls sitting on a round table, their chairs faced towards their table, giggling together. Sakura wondered for a moment if they were laughing at her, before she realized that they were looking at Syaoran instead. She saw the look they were giving him; girls always got that look on their face when they thought someone was cute. She had nearly forgotten that Syaoran was cute, given everything that had happened. He didn't have any of the typical bishounen delicate looks, but Syaoran's face was more interesting. In daylight, if the sun hit at the right angle his eyes were the color of golden syrup and were . . . looking right at her. He cocked an eyebrow. "What? Can't decide?"

Sakura quickly decided to turn instant traitor against her gender. "Those girls on the other side of the room are staring at you."

Syaoran turned around and assumed an air of mellow gratification. "Of course they are," he said. "I am stunningly attractive."

"Haven't you ever heard that modesty is an attractive trait?"

"Only from ugly people," Syaoran confided and winked at the girls who giggled and hide behind their menus. "You want coffee?"

Sakura scrunched her nose. "No, it's a little late for that."

"How about a smoothie?"

"Um, sure . . ." He reached across the table and flipped her menu to the very back. Her eyes widened at the variety presented before her. Not only were there smoothies, but also milkshakes, each with their own unique names and ingredients listed. "Does the menu ever end?"

Syaoran chuckled. "There's an apricot-mango smoothie with lavender that's simply divine." Sakura simply nodded as she searched the menu for his suggestion. The description itself sounded delicious. "I'll have that, then."

Sakura was looking through the menu for something to eat when the same waitress Sakura saw at the counter approached their table to take their order; she was even prettier up close. She flashed her perfect, pearly white teeth in Syaoran's direction, ignoring Sakura completely. "Know what you're having, hun?"

Syaoran grinned. "Two orders of the usual," he said, and got another bright smile from the waitress.

"Brought another victim here, did you?" she joked, writing down the order on her notepad. Sakura frowned and Syaoran merely laughed.

"Not necessarily. She's different." He gave Sakura a wink. The waitress murmured a skeptical "Mm hmm" before walking away.

"You two seem cozy," said Sakura as soon as the waitress was out of earshot. "How many girls have you brought here? And what did she mean by 'victim?'"

"Just a few," he answered. Sakura gave him a skeptical look. He didn't look like he was going to answer her second question so she settled for looking around her surroundings. It was a nice restaurant, she had to admit. She tried her best to ignore Syaoran, having been graciously reminded of his reputation by the waitress, but found it a hard task to do when he was directly staring at her.

"You're staring at me," Sakura finally said. "Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Nope."

Sakura's eyebrows knit together, her expression a mix of confusion and worry. "Okay?"

"Tell me about yourself," Syaoran said after a while.

Sakura shrugged. "There's not much to tell."

"That's okay. Just start from anywhere."

"Um, well I guess . . . I did thank you for saying I look good tonight. I don't get that often. I mean, Tomoyo-chan calls me cute whenever we see each other. She has this crazy obsession with dressing me up in clothing she designed and made herself."

"She's the one I talked on the phone with, right? Did she help you get ready for tonight?"

"She's my best friend," Sakura said, nodding. "Except didn't know we were second cousins until we were in fifth grade. And sort of, she's in England, remember? But she did design the dress."

"It really does look beautiful on you," he commented and Sakura blushed. "And you did the rest?"

Sakura nodded. "She helped as best she could through Skype."

"So when did she move to England?"

"The summer before high school started. Her mom got an offer to branch out her company over there and she took the opportunity. They're doing well so I'm happy for them."

"Well then, I have to thank her personally sometime."

Sakura blinked. "What for?"

"For making you look even more beautiful than you normally do." Sakura resisted the urge to blush. She was about to tell him to stop with all the cheesy dialogue when he added, "And also, for treating you right." Sakura smiled.

"I'm so blessed to have met her. If it weren't for all her support, I'd probably . . ." She trailed off, not sure whether it was okay to tell him yet or not. She barely knew him and that gnawing feeling in her heart told her not to trust him yet.

Before Syaoran could ask what she was about to say, the food came. Sakura thanked the waitress and saw a plate of fries and a large hamburger in front of her; it was bigger than any of the other ones she saw at the more famous fast food restaurants. As the aroma assaulted her nose, she realized how hungry she was. She didn't even care at that moment that Syaoran had ordered for her without her consent. She realized she started getting ready almost immediately after she got home so she didn't even have time to eat before Syaoran came. And the popcorn they had at the theater didn't exactly fill her up, seeing as she fell asleep almost instantly. Sakura held her burger in hand and took a big bite. It was delicious. Syaoran was right; she did want to kiss her fingers. She took the ketchup bottle and ran it over her fries in a zig-zag pattern before closing it and picking one up to eat. It was also delicious; crispy, yet soft. She swayed from side to side, her head bobbing along with her body to show her delight for the food. Syaoran was watching her in amusement.

"You like?" he asked. She nodded so she wouldn't talk with her mouth full. Syaoran chuckled and began to eat his burger as well.

Within minutes, her food was completely gone, despite the large potion. Syaoran raised his brow as he was to take another bite of his now half-eaten burger. "Hungry?"

A tint of pink appeared on her face as she nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I left without eating anything. I had to be Tomoyo-perfect before leaving the house."

Syaoran looked amused. Normally, the girls he brought would barely eat half before saying they were full and offered the rest to him. He wasn't one to throw away good food and always happily obliged. But Sakura . . . she had eaten the whole thing as if it were nothing. "That's all right," he said, "I like a girl who eats her fill."

Sakura picked up her half empty smoothie and smiled inwardly. She had only read of people who said cheesy things like that, never has she ever witnessed it being said herself, especially directed at her_. If you only knew . . ._

"So," Sakura started, "are you going to tell me the real reason as to why you asked me out?"

"Are you telling me you're still suspicious of me?"

"Are going to continue answering my questions with a question?"

"What do you think?" Syaoran smirked.

Sakura huffed. "I hate it when you do that."

"No you don't, you think it's charming. Anyway, you want to know the truth?" Sakura nodded, no hesitation whatsoever. "Because I like you." He waited for her to say something. She never did but instead continued to stare at him with unreadable eyes, as if challenging him to come out and say it was a joke. She clearly didn't believe him.

"I'm serious," he said. Sakura gave him the same skeptical "Mm hmm" the waitress did earlier as she took another sip of her smoothie.

Before he could say anything else, they were interrupted by a group of girls who had just walked in. "Why hello, Li-kun," one said sweetly, she too, ignoring Sakura. "What are you doing here?"

Syaoran smiled at them. "I'm here on a date with Kinomoto-san." The girls turned their heads toward Sakura; their eyes simultaneously flashed a hint of anger before they smiled sweetly. Sakura recognized them as the few main girls Hanako tolerated enough to hang out with. Hanako herself, however, was absent.

"Isn't that nice," another said.

"You know what's also nice? Her dress," the third one commented. Sakura frowned. She knew this wouldn't end well. Seeing Sakura's expression, Syaoran started to slowly get up to politely ask the girls to leave.

"Oh, you're right, Mimi," the one in the middle said. "And I know something that will make it look even better." Before anyone could comprehend what was to happen, the girl in the middle took Sakura's smoothie from her hand and poured the remaining contents over her head. It seeped down her hair and into her dress, slowly spreading.

Syaoran was about to speak up when Sakura abruptly stood up. She uttered a soft "Excuse me" and ran out the door, with her jacket and purse in hand. The girls burst out laughing and Sakura could hear it all the way in the front. Syaoran gave the girls a disapproving look and they immediately stopped. Throwing a wad of cash on the table to pay for their meal, he grabbed his own jacket and ran after her.

Syaoran found her sitting on the edge of a giant circular fountain located in the middle of downtown Tomoeda, the water making an assortment of colors behind her. Her head was down and she was clutching her jacket tightly which rested in her lap.

"Sa—Kinomoto -san?" Syaoran quietly asked, cautiously approaching her. He saw a sparkle of water hit her shivering hands and immediately realized she was crying. He gently placed his jacket over her shoulders and sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded.

"Don't lie. I know you're crying," he bluntly pointed out.

He saw her smile a little through her curtain of hair. "I'm sorry," she quietly said, not bothering to come up with a witty retort.

"It's okay." He lifted her head to face him while, at the same time, took out his handkerchief. He momentarily took her glasses off to gently wipe her tears away with the soft cloth. He couldn't help but notice that this was the one time he saw her jade green eyes sparkle, and it was only because of her tears. "They shouldn't have done what they did."

Sakura smiled weakly. "I don't care about that but . . . They—they ruined Tomoyo-chan's dress."

"Is that why you're crying?" Sakura nodded. He almost laughed. Here she was covering with apricot-mango smoothie, and all she could think about was the dress her friend made for her. You really are something else. "Don't worry, it's okay. It'll be washed and look good as new."

Sakura gave a weak laugh. "I know, but, when they did that, I couldn't help but think what Tomoyo-chan had to go through to make this for me. I never even asked her to but she was able to make a beautiful dress in less than a week. It must've been so stressful for her. And she's so talented with what she does, it felt like they were insulting her instead of me and she doesn't deserve this . . ."

"Nobody does," he said quietly, slipping her glasses back on, regrettably though; he thought she looked better without them, it showed her beautiful green eyes clearer. Sakura lowered her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. Despite everything, he couldn't help but notice how perfectly she fit into his arms.

On the other hand, Sakura was just now reflecting on what was happening and smiled. She felt thankful that he had come after her and comforted her. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as bad as she thought. She lifted her head off his shoulder and rubbed the dry tears away. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Are you feeling better? Uh . . . Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura turned her head to face him and smiled. "I'm fine. But, is it really that weird for you to call me 'Kinomoto-san'?"

She could feel Syaoran chuckle. "It does feel a little awkward . . ."

Sakura playfully rolls her eyes as she stood up. Turning around to face him she held her jacket and purse in her hands, his was still hung over her body to protect her from the brisk cold air. "Then, I guess you can call me 'Sakura'. But, this doesn't necessarily mean I'm your girlfriend." She meant to speak lightly, but at the look on his face, her voice trailed off into uncertainty. He was looking at her with an odd steadiness; his eyes were the same golden brown as they always were but seemed to have gotten a bit . . . darker. Was it because of the night? His gaze passed over her face, down her throat, to her waist, before rising back up to her face, where it lingered on her mouth. Sakura felt her heart pounding as if she had been running all day. Something in her chest ached. There was something she wanted, but she didn't know what—

"It's late," Syaoran said abruptly, looking away from her as he too stood up. "I should walk you back home."

He was right. It was late, the pinprick light of the stars visible in the clear sky above.

There was something oddly diffident in his attitude now that hadn't been there before, as if Sakura had done something to offend him. But what could she have done? She was the one splattered with apricot-mango smoothie all over, not him. Had she gotten some on his designer clothes when she leaned on his shoulder? Or on his jacket?

"Oh and by the way . . ." She looked up to face him. That same superior smirk was back on his lips. "You _so_ want to be my girlfriend."

Sakura huffed. "Please, in your dreams. As if I'd ever give you the 'okay.'"

"Was that the okay?"

"No," she shot back quickly and Syaoran chuckled. "Thank you," she said after a while. "For . . . for coming after me and comforting me. You didn't have to do that."

"I know," he chided casually. "That's what makes me so nice."

Sakura snorted. "Way to ruin a moment."

He responded by taking her hand in his. "If you're still worried about the dress, don't worry I'll pay for the cleaning. It's going to be alright."

Sakura smiled and curled her fingers around his large hand. "Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>Say Ok<strong>

by

**Vanessa Hudgens**

from

**V album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 4**

**James Birdsong** Ha ha. I figured as much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though. It took a while but I'm satisfied with it. ^-^

**SyaoSakuLovers** And now, chapter 5! I can't say anything indefinitely as of yet, but she does find him attractive. Who wouldn't right? I hope you enjoyed their date!

**Kagome Higurashi Macarubbo **I tried to update quickly but there was so much to write! I hope you didn't die waiting. ^^'

**reader (first to review) **Ha ha. Sorry for the wait!

**reader (second to review)** Thank you so much! Sorry for the wait!

**Lyokofangirl1999** Ha ha. That's fine. I'm glad you like it. ^-^

**Princesa** Sakura YAY!

Chapter 5, finally! I'm so, so, so soooooo sorry for the long wait. I swear, my computer doesn't like me. Whenever I want to update or even do my online math homework, SOMETHING happens to delay my plans. So sorry. But happy belated birthday to my two friend's MusicAngel92 and Ametyist213 and also to Satsuki Iragashi (one of the members of CLAMP). And happy belated Valentine's Day to you all. I apologize on my computers behalf but I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for waiting and being so patient with me. Even though it's been exactly a month since I last updated. ^^' I'm so, so grateful for you all. I mean over 100 reviews in less than five chapters? Seriously! I freakin' love you all! I'm so blessed to have readers like you. =^~^= I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated February 15, 2012**


	6. Sticks and Stones

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 6: Sticks and Stones**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement: **Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. Not only for this story but for the previous ones as well. You know who you are. :) I appreciate each and every one of you. And, happy birthday to Sakura Kinomoto from CardCaptor Sakura, Watanuki Kimihiro from xxxHOLiC, and Syaoran/Tsubasa and Sakura/Tsubasa-hime from TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. Did I miss anyone?

Sakura was on her bed, curled up into a ball, blankets pulled over her head, and blinds tightly shut making it impossible to let any light from outside in. She felt like she wanted to disappear. She wanted nothing more than to stay closed up in her room until everyone forgot about her.

* * *

><p>She thought back to what had happened that morning. Everything started out so well. She and her father were eating breakfast together, despite him having to stay out late to catch up on grading papers; the weather was perfect—the sun shining bright, no clouds in sight making it<br>slightly warmer but still comfortably cool; and Syaoran had, for once, not stalked her on her way to school! And she actually felt good about their date with the aforementioned teen as she recalled the details, smiling brightly as she walked to school. But happiness rarely lasted in Sakura's life. And she was reminded of that once she stepped through the school gates.

The courtyard was surprisingly deserted. No one seated on the benches, no groups scattered around the school and no living soul seemed to be outside. Once she stepped through the doors, however, her whole world came crashing down. Everyone seemed to have migrated inside the school and exploded into a mixture of applause and laughter at her as she entered the building

Frowning at their behavior, Sakura glanced around. On every wall, shoe locker, and door, there were rows and rows of herself plastered on almost every inch of the entryway. She normally wouldn't have cared as much if it were pictures of her old self, but this wasn't. These were pictures of her . . . covered in apricot-mango smoothie . . . from her date last night with the most wanted boy in school.

"I really like that dress, Kinomoto-san," one guy called out. "Do you have one in strawberry-banana?"

The crowd laughed as they started to surround her. Sakura hitch her breath and willed herself not to cry, her hands forming into fists. She didn't even have the strength to plaster the smile she usually did when something like this occurred. Her chest was burning, her head spinning and her breath ragged—she could barely breathe; she felt as if she were on the midst of having an anxiety attack.

"Do you think that dress comes in berry blue?" teased another girl.

"I wouldn't know." Tears burned behind Sakura's eyes. _I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry_, she told herself. "It was . . . specially made for me."

"Really now?" another girl called out. "I thought it looked a little big."

The crowd laughed.

Not able to take it any longer, Sakura turned around and elbowed her way past everyone, escaped through the school doors, and sprinted home, wanting to get as far away from the school as possible.

She hadn't cried, even though she wanted to. Sakura hated to cry, especially in front of people she didn't trust. And the few people in the world she trusted, she knew she couldn't bear to bother them with this sort of thing. Also the fact that there was a time difference barrier. It was only when she reached her house that she let the tears spill.

Unfortunately for her, her father was still at home. Seeing her, he instantly dropped what he was doing and went to comfort her, hearing her retell her story of what had happened that morning. He hadn't reacted much when she got to the part of her date with Syaoran, only to tell him in the future when she decides to go on more dates. She managed to laugh and reassured him that it was a one-time thing only.

Despite his pleas, Sakura told him that he should go to work. Reluctantly, Fujitaka finally agreed. He promised to be home early and allowed her to stay home for the day, assuring her that he'd call the school to say she was sick or something. After he had left, Sakura changed back into her pajamas and curled into bed, her mind wondering back to the morning's events despite her will to want to forget. She could still hear their laughing voices booming in her head.

Sakura dug herself deeper and let sleep consume her, too tired to do anything else but sleep her troubles away.

**x~X~x**

Sakura woke up to the sound of her phone ringing—the particular song playing indicated that it was her best friend calling. Picking it up, she answered the call before it could forward to voicemail.

"Hello," she said begrudged.

"Sakura-chan, is everything all right? And don't you dare lie to me!"

Sakura sighed and rolled onto her back, she placed her free arm over her eyes as she tried to imagine Tomoyo in front of her as she usually did when she had a bad day and Tomoyo would always somehow know without her telling her and called to check up on her. "How did you know?"

"You're my best friend. I have a special sensor that lets me know when you're not feeling well. What happened?"

Sakura went on to tell her everything that happened, starting off with how her date with Syaoran went yesterday. When she was done, the other line was silent.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

"I'm here," Tomoyo quickly reassured. "I just can't believe they did that. That's low, even for them. Who do you think was behind it? Kou? Hanako?"

"I don't know. And frankly, I don't care."

"Liar," Tomoyo deadpanned. "If you didn't care wouldn't have ran home crying."

"Uh, correction, I cried when I got home."

"Uh, yeah, whatever, doesn't matter. Point is, they made you cry so I will not rest until the police, FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, and CSI Tokyo find out just where in the world the culprit is."

"Tomoyo-chan—"

"We will search the entire country, the entire planet— No, then entire galaxy!"

Tomoyo—"

"Ain't no mountain high enough! Yeah . . ." Tomoyo started singing, "Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough! To keep me from—"

"Tomoyo-chan!" She heard her best friend mutter an innocent "What?" and Sakura stifled a laugh. "That's really not necessary. Let's just forget it, okay? And how many times have you read the Clueless script I sent you?"

"A bunch. And no way, Sakura-chan—those girls have gone too far this time."

"Well what can we do about it? Nothing. They're just etching for the chance to see me snap or break down in front of them. And I will not give them that pleasure."

"Fine," Tomoyo sighed. "But don't think that you have to go through this alone, okay? I'm here for you if you ever need me for anything, got it?"

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I know."

There was a sort pause. "Are you okay?" Sakura could hear the concern in her friend's voice.

Sighing, Sakura said, "I will be. I just need time to shake it off."

"Alright. Just don't do the thing you used to do because you do know what I'll do if I find out you've been doing that, don't you?"

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, I know."

"I'm being serious here, Sakura."

Sakura smiled. "Yes, I know."

"Gosh, I feel so helpless. I wish I could be there more for you but—"

"No, it's okay," Sakura interrupted. "I know you can't help me every time I'm having a bad day . . . which is every day."

"Come on, don't say that," Tomoyo whispered. "Especially not after how much Li-kun has been there for you recently. Speaking of which, where is he? What did he say about this morning?"

"Surprisingly nothing," Sakura sighed as she looked at the clock. "He didn't stalk me to school for once—which I don't mind—but he wasn't there when I got to school. He was probably running late."

"Do you miss him?"

Sakura frowned. "No, why would I?"

"Don't know," said Tomoyo in a nonchalant way. "It's just by the way you described the date that I thought you'd have opened up to him, that's all. Are you sure you're not falling for him? I mean no guy in your school has ever stood up for you like that."

"Well, no guy has ever had a reason to. I just need to know what that reason is . . ."

"Why does there always have to be something with you? Can't you just accept the fact that he's secretly in love with you?"

"I don't know, Tomoyo-chan; it all just seems too suspicious," Sakura said. "And he's not 'secretly in love' with me," she quoted her best friend with as much sarcasm as she could muster. "If he was, he'd have done something a looong time ago."

"Well, maybe he's just shy."

Sakura snorted. "Tomoyo-chan, _I'm_ the shy one. Whereas he can hit on anything in a skirt without batting an eye."

"Wow, Sakura-chan, I didn't know you rolled that way."

"You know what I meant!" She heard Tomoyo's laughter over the phone and after a while Sakura had to join in. Tomoyo never seemed to fail to put a smile on her face. No matter how bad her day was. "Okay, Tomoyo-chan, go to sleep, you have school in a couple of hours."

"Okay, fine. I'll call you later, then. Ja!"

Sakura smiled. "Ja ne." And the line went dead. Letting out a sigh she placed the phone down next to her on her bed. She contemplated going back to sleep or not when Kero suddenly came in and laid down on his back at her feet. He pawed the air, his eyes staring at hers. Kero was a very needy cat and Sakura knew he didn't want a belly rub. When he pawed the air at her, it usually meant he was hungry and she better feed him soon.

Smiling, she reached down and rubbed his belly. He gave a rumbling meow, his way of telling her that's not what he wanted. Sakura laughed and stood up, picking him up along the way. "Okay, okay, let's see if we got some food for you." At this he rubbed his nose to her cheek, finally satisfied with his mistress.

**x~X~x**

She couldn't believe they ran out of cat food. Seriously. All she wanted was to be as lazy as a sloth for one day but her cat had to come up to her and demand food. She trudged upstairs and put on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. She quickly slipped on her sneakers and was on her way out. The crisp, cool air tingled Sakura's exposed cheeks, but she liked it. She had always preferred the cold over the heat.

Sakura walked out of the local grocery store feeling rather proud. Maybe it was a good thing that they ran out of cat food. At least she was able to get extra ingredients for dinner tonight. She figured she'd cook for her dad, as a thank you for letting her stay home. She shifted the grocery bags comfortably in her arms, content in her purchases. Her eye caught the cake mix she bought poking out and smiled; surely her father would love the cake she planned on baking for him.

"Still dressed like that, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes; she should've known she'd run into—

"Good afternoon, Kou-san. Is school over already?"

His lips curved into a half smile. "It just ended."

"We missed you there, Sakura-chan." It was Ryouga. Sakura had now just realized Kou wasn't alone. Ryouga and Jun, Syaoran's other two friends, were also there. But where was—

"I wasn't feeling well," Sakura answered.

"You seem well enough to be walking outside," said Kou.

"I—" Sakura hesitated, finding her shoes much more interesting than the conversation going on. She could feel Kou's red wine eyes were piercing through her. "I'm running some errands for my dad."

"I never knew you to be one to ditch school, Sakura-chan," Kou sneered. "And you looked so ravishing last night, too."

Sakura looked up to look at them; she could hear Jun snickering behind them. "What—?"

Ryouga raised his hands in front of him. "Hey, hey, don't get any funny ideas. The whole school knows about your date with Syaoran. It was all over the school this morning." Sakura lowered her eyes, trying hard to blink her tears away. "Speaking of which, I think you still have a stain on you."

Being as naïve as she was, Sakura looked around her being. "W-where?"

She heard Jun give out a, "Hey!" and when she looked up, she saw Ryouga there, a Styrofoam cup in hand. He popped the lid open and dumped the remaining of Jun's latte over her head. "Everywhere." He bumped her as he walked passed her, causing her to drop her bags. She knelled down to pick them up, glancing up once, only to be met with the sinister smirk that haunted her at night.

**x~X~x**

As soon as Sakura got home, she fed Kero, showered, and got to work on making lunch. Sakura needed something to keep her mind busy. Working, cooking, cleaning, or studying usually helped her forget for a few hours.

Just as she was finishing up in the kitchen, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Quickly drying her hands, she fished it out and saw she had one text message from Tomoyo telling her to get her butt online. Sakura quickly checked her watched and estimated it was lunch time at school for Tomoyo. She quickly grabbed her food and headed upstairs where she signed into Skype to talk with her best friend.

As soon as she was logged on, she received a call from Tomoyo. Smiling to herself, she quickly accepted it. "Hey Tomoyo-chan," she greeted. She quickly noticed someone next to her with full moon glasses, and neatly cut dark blue hair and matching eyes. Smiling at him as well she quickly added, "Hey Eriol-kun. Joining her for lunch?"

"Am I ever not?" he responded with his famous sugar-sweet smile.

"Good point."

"Seems you're joining us too, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo commented, noticing her best friend take a not-so-secret bite.

"It's more like lunch/dinner for me."

"_Please_ don't tell me you skipped lunch. You have to eat regularly to remain healthy, Sakura-chan."

"Relax Tomoyo-chan," Sakura sighed out. Here comes her best friend's 'Mama instincts' kicking in. "I didn't skip it on purpose. I was delayed due to another smoothie incident . . . except with a latte instead."

Tomoyo gasped. "Those girls went to your house? That's gone too far. Like this morning wasn't enough."

"No, it wasn't them. It was Kou." The two were silent on the other end. "Well technically it was Ryouga, but you know, same thing. Eh heh." Sakura gave the two a sheepish smile.

Eriol, much like Tomoyo, could easily see through Sakura's brave front. "What happened?" His voice was sincere. Even though they had never met in person, she and Eriol had grown to become close friends. Sakura looked elsewhere and took another bite of her food. "Sakura-chan . . ."

Sakura sighed. She couldn't stand the look on their faces—like they were hurting for her. "It's nothing big. I went out to buy some stuff for dinner, mainly more food for Kero, and stumbling into them. And they had to remind me of the highlight of my date from last night."

"I'm sorry." It was Eriol.

Sakura shook her head. "No big deal. I had to take a shower that took almost an hour to get everything off, from my hair especially."

"Was Li-kun with them? Didn't he try to stop them?" Tomoyo spoke up.

"No, he wasn't there. I don't think he would've cared anyway."

"Why do you say that?" Eriol asked.

"Well, I don't know what exactly, but when he first asked me out something just felt off. We've been in the same class since our first year and he hasn't as much given me as much of a second glance before that day. So either he has some major secret crush issues—which I highly doubt—or someone must have put him up to it."

"Or," Eriol cut in, "he actually plans on dating every girl in your school before graduation as some kind of sick goal and you're the last one left."

Sakura snapped her fingers. "Yes, there could be that. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that were the real reason. Like we need a bigger Shun in my school." Just then her phone buzzed. She looked at her screen to see that she got a text message from an unknown number. Sakura figured she should just save his stupid number until it all dies out if he was being so persistent. Sakura ran her finger across the screen to unlock her phone.

"Is it Mr. Li?" Tomoyo inquired a smirk on her face.

"Unfortunately," mumbled Sakura as she read the text, taking another bite of her food.

"What does he say?"

Clicking away, she gave a quick reply before returning her attention back to her friends. "He just wants to know if I'm okay."

"Whoa, he didn't mention anything about the pictures or why you didn't go to school?"

"Nope," Sakura said with a shrug. "Like I said before, he probably doesn't even care."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes but knew better than to comment. Instead she took a bite of her food while her boyfriend stepped in. "So then, what did you tell him just now?"

"Just that I'm fine." Her phone buzzed again. She ran through the motions again before reading it and rolled her eyes at his message.

"What is it?" Eriol asked.

"He says he missed me." Tomoyo sighed with a falsetto "aaaaawwww". Sakura snorted. "I'm not falling for it, you know."

"Did you tell him that?" Sakura nodded just as she pressed the send button.

"I know you don't want to give your heart willingly to him," said Eriol, "but he might think you're playing hard to get on purpose, which will only make him try more."

Sakura laughed. "Please, I'm sure even he's smart enough to take the hint that I'm not interested." Her phone buzzed again. Reading the message, her jaw slowly dropped. Her eyes went to Eriol, her phone, and back. Eriol's grin widened.

"Am I right?"

Sakura nodded dumbly. "It says," she said, clearing her throat and making the most stereotypical male voice she could muster, "'You're just playing hard to get, aren't you? No matter, I'll keep coming back.'"

"Okay, now he sounds like a creepy stalker," Tomoyo commented.

"Glad to see you're finally agreeing with me." Sakura contemplated on what to reply before shrugging. Her fingers clicked away again before putting her phone down. At her friend's expectant looks she said, "I called him a stalker." The two choked on their drinks due to laughter.

"And?" Tomoyo asked just as Sakura's phone buzzed again. Sakura smiled inwardly upon reading it.

"He's offended." The two laughed again. The phone buzzed again. Sakura quickly scanned the message before briefing it to them once more. "He says he has practice but he wants to come over after."

"And? Do you want him to come over?" Sakura could clearly see the sparkle in Tomoyo's eyes through the screen.

"Ew, no. His sweaty self stinking up my house? No, thank you."

"But don't you miss him?" Grinned Tomoyo. "I think you should just give him a chance, if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. I think it's about time you had a boyfriend."

She quickly texted back a reply before putting her phone down. "I told him I'd just see him tomorrow," Sakura said before anyone could ask.

"Speaking of, are you going to tell him about this morning?" Eriol asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I don't care if he knows or not. I'm just going to act as if it never happened in the first place."

"What if they tease you for it again?" Tomoyo asked in concern. "You know they're bound to do something like that."

"Then I'd do what I always do. Kill them with kindness. Nothing bothers them more than me forgiving them."

"I swear," Tomoyo said, "you're like a saint, Sakura-chan. I mean, if it were me, I'd beat anyone who tried anything like that with me. I can teach them a lesson if you want." Sakura laughed at her best friend's remark.

"You know I don't believe violence is the answer for anything."

Tomoyo smiled a sheepish smile. "I don't know. It could be the answer to some things."

Sakura's phone buzzed again. Sighing, she picked it up again. She let a small smile form her lips before replying back. The two looked at one another before giving Sakura a cheesy grin. Sakura frowned once she looked up from her phone. They were certainly being weird now. "What?"

"You like him!" Tomoyo said in a singsong voice.

"I do not!" defended Sakura.

"Are you sure? Cuz you had the same smile I get when I text Eriol just now. The smile that says 'aw, he's trying to be cute, it's adorable.'" Tomoyo smirked

"He wasn't trying to be cute; he was trying to be a creeper."

"Same thing, really. Admit it, he made you smile so you have to have some sort of feelings for him."

"Okay look, if I do find myself falling for him, I promise to let you know. But right now, until I know his intentions are clear and true, I'm not going to let myself. As far as I know, it could be like Eriol said and he just wants to date every girl at school as some kind of sick graduation goal."

"But you have to admit he's cute." Tomoyo grinned and Sakura rolled her eyes. Eriol, however, seemed unconcerned over what his girlfriend had said and smiled a knowing smile at Sakura.

"Okay fine, he is. But that's not enough to change my mind." She pointed an accusing finger at the two, challenging them to say something else to get her to compliment the brown haired boy. They in turn gave a goofy grin. Sakura sighed in relief when she heard a bell ringing from Tomoyo's end. "Looks like lunch is over for you two. Anyway, I have to go too. My dad said he would be home early."

With that, the three said their goodbyes.

**x~X~x**

Sakura took a deep breath and clutched her books tighter against her chest. She was standing in front of the school gates. Plastering a smile on her face, she stepped through the gate and walked through the courtyard and into the building. She saw the sneers she got from her peripheral vision but continued to hold her head down to have her hair cover her face as much as possible and walked to her destination.

Just as she finished exchanging her street shoes to her school shoes, she noticed Kou and the two other guys from yesterday wave at her, obviously wanting to taunt her. Sakura simply smiled and waved back. She wasn't going to let them get to her today. Kou raised an eyebrow at her.

Why don't you understand

"Where were you yesterday?"

Sakura twirled to find big amber brown eyes staring back at her. He was standing exceptionally close to her. "I just wasn't feeling well, that's all."

He placed one hand next to her head, resting on a shoe locker, somewhat trapping her. "Are you sure?" He was close enough that she could feel his body heat radiate from him. His eyes on her felt like a thousands of needling piercing through her skin.

"Yes," Sakura managed to say.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura-chan. You don't seem like the type to skip school often."

"I'm not, but I wasn't skipping. I really wasn't feeling well." She wasn't completely lying.

"Was it because of the smoothie? You still had it all over you and it was really cold outside." He leaned closer to her, his mouth just a few inches away from hers. "Or was it something else?"

Sakura could practically feel everyone around them trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. "I . . . think it was the smoothie, yeah. I'm better now, though."

She could feel his eyes searching hers but she didn't dare look in his direction. There was a long silence until she finally saw Syaoran smile through the corner of her eye. "I'm glad." he grabbed her books from her hand and lifted them over his head when she tried to reach for them. "Ah-ah-ah. Allow me, mademoiselle."

"Just give me my books back, Li-san."

"Call me Syaoran," he said instead.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Li-san, I'm serious."

"Sya-o-ran," he repeated, enunciating every vowel.

"Fine. Syaoran-san, can I please have my books back?"

"What? No -senpai?"

"We're the same age, idiot." She jumped at the last word only to fail retrieving her books . . . again.

"Are you sure about that? Besides, I think 'Syaoran-senpai has a nice ring to it." He lean slightly enough so their noses almost met. "Especially coming from your sweet mouth."

Sakura sighed a defeated sigh. She looked up at him through her lashed gave a small pout. She looked like a small, pleading kitten. This always worked on Tomoyo; she hoped it would work on him too. "Please, Syaoran-kun?"

A small smile tugged the side of his face; he could practically see cat ears form at the top of her head. "It'll do." He turned around and started walking to class. Sakura ran to catch up and blocked his path.

"Hey, you said I could have my books back if I called you by your first name!"

"I never said anything like that, you just assumed." Sakura leered. "But, I will return your books once we're in the classroom _if_ you let me hold your hand."

"What? Afraid you'll get lost if I don't?"

"No," Syaoran chuckled. "Afraid someone else might snatch you away from me."

Sakura eyed him carefully. In a swift movement, she made an attempt to reclaim her books but he moved them from reach just in time. She pursed her lips, clearly unhappy about failing to retrieve her books again. "Fine, whatever," she said, sticking her hand out to him, a small blush on her cheeks.

He smiled as he took her hand in his and started leading them to their classroom. She wasn't sure but she could've sworn she saw his eyes dart in Kou's direction for a split second. "I wanted to tell you earlier, I really enjoyed our date the night before. Would you like to go out again sometime?"

"I—" She was about to decline when she noticed every girl's eyes on her. Syaoran Li almost _never_ asked a girl out for a second date unless he was serious about her and wanted her to be his girlfriend. And that was a big commitment, even for him. It'd be okay to show them up at least once, right?

"Sure," Sakura finally said. "Why not?"

Syaoran smirked. "Good. I promise it will be better than the last."

* * *

><p><strong>Sticks and Stones<strong>

by

**Aly & AJ**

from

**Into the Rush album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 5**

**anony** Thank you so much! Sorry for the long wait. I thought her friends needed more screen time so here it is! Sorry, Syaoran didn't show up much this chapter. :P

**SyaoSakuLovers** Yay! I'm glad you liked it!

**Please Read**

I'm so sorry for the long wait you guys. I wanted to update sooner but the truth is I've been sick. In fact, I've been sick for a while now . . . and extremely busy. In fact, I've barely had time to write this spring break. But I managed somehow. ^-^ Not gonna lie, I'm kind of in a stump now so I really need your help, my lovely readers. I know where I want to go with the story but I'm having trouble developing the relationship between Syaoran and Sakura. So, you'd help me a lot by letting me know if there's anything at all you want to see happen. Any and all ideas will be welcome! Thanks again for the reviews. Also, if I had say a Tumblr or a Twitter, would you follow me? I know I say this like a bajillion times but I mean it; I'm so blessed to have readers like you. =^~^= I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated April 1, 2012**


	7. Only Hope

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 7: Only Hope**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. Not only for this story, but for the previous ones as well. You know who you are. :) I appreciate each and every one of you. 100 ALERTS ON THIS STORY! WOW! Now can we do the same for favorites? And also a happy (and _VERY_) belated birthday to the mastermind behind CLAMP, Nanase (Ageha) Ohkawa! Whose birthday was May 2nd!

* * *

><p>"What are you doing after school?"<p>

Sakura glanced up from her book, secretly wishing he would give it a rest. "Depends. Why do you want to know?"

"Why else? You said you were willing to go for another date."

The bell rang then, signaling it was their free period. The third years were allowed one free period in their schedule provided they do something productive and "school-based." It was set to give them extra time to study for university exams, but Syaoran usually used it to escape to the roof and sleep.

"I can't tonight, sorry," Sakura replied with a sigh, gathering her materials and headed out the door. Syaoran quickly followed her out.

"Well, how about tomorrow?"

"That's no good either. I'm busy."

Syaoran cocked his eyebrow. "This week at all?"

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not."

"Okay," Syaoran said. "How about we use our free period as a mini-second date to prepare for our actual second date?"

"I can't, I'm heading to the library," she deadpanned.

"Why? To get some extra reading done?"

She could tell he was teasing her about it. Oh how quick people are to judge. "No, I actually spend my free period volunteering there instead of napping on the roof."

"How did you know that?"

"It's all any of the girls talk about in the bathroom," Sakura said, clamping her hands together and batting her eyes, "how cute you look when you're asleep with the sun light perfectly hitting your frame—" Sakura shuddered and added, "their words not mine. They even take pictures of you. Doesn't it bother you at all?"

They finally got to the library and Sakura quickly escaped behind the counter, safe from Syaoran's reach since he wasn't authorized to be back there. Sakura greeted the media specialists, pinned on her ID, and signed herself in. She then proceeded to drag the cart of checked in books ready to shelve to the fiction section. Syaoran shrugged indifferently and followed her.

"They can take pictures if they want, it lasts longer anyway."

Sakura frowned as she started shelving the books, making sure everything was alphabetized correctly on the cart beforehand. "So it doesn't bother you? I mean, people you don't even know stalk you wherever you go, always wanting something from you; an autograph, a picture, money . . . Your family _is_ very influential and being the only son of a family like that, it's no wonder everyone treats you like a celebrity." Sakura's voice got quieter as she spoke. She couldn't imagine herself being in that position. People who choose to be famous really did sacrifice so much. But Syaoran was born into it; it wasn't like he chose the life he has. "Don't you ever feel like you're just being used? Don't you feel like it's an invasion of your privacy having every moment of your life being photographed or recorded?"

Syaoran shrugged as he pretended to look for a book on the shelf. "Not really," he said, picking one up and reading the synopsis on the inside cover. "I mean, like you said, my family's influential so all my life I was always sort of been forced into the spotlight. To be honest, I'm not always sure if people want something from me when they approach me or not. All I know is that once I graduate, all hell will break loose." Sakura turned to look at him. "My mother was able to pry the paparazzi as best she could for this long, but once I start to truly learn about the business, I'm sure that's when my life will be public for all to see." He snapped the book shut and gave her a sideways glance, smirking. "So for now, I want to live my life to the fullest with all the privacy I currently have before every decision I make is judged by others."

Sakura mouthed a small _O _and suddenly paid more attention to shelving books than necessary when in reality, she was letting his words sink in. If what he said was true, then it would explain why he always seemed to act as if he didn't have a care in the world, why he seemed to always make brash moves with anything he did and also, why he seemed to have a heart at times around her. He was at some point protected by the negativity of others. Still she felt that, like her, he kept some parts of himself closed off to the rest of the world.

"So, what's so important that you're willing to blow me off this whole week?" he asked, snapping her back to reality. She had almost forgotten he was there.

"I have rehearsal and afterwards I'm working," she simply said, pushing the cart several shelves down to be closer to the non-fiction section now.

"Working?"

"Yes, Li-san—" At his look she quickly corrected herself. "Sorry, _Syaoran-kun_." He nodded. "You know, that thing most middle class people do in order to survive economically in life."

Syaoran rolled his eyes and ignored her sarcasm. "Where do you work?"

"Nowhere special."

"Never heard of it. Where is it?"

She titled her head and gave him a look. "Did you really think I would tell you?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

She rolled her eyes as she traveled back to the cart to get more books to shelve in that area. She could feel his eyes on her as she searched for the correct spot for 113.9 WEA. She had to go on her tippy-toes, but was able to shelf the book in its proper place. She traveled back to the cart and pushed it more towards the center rear of the library. She picked up the next few books to be shelved in the area starting with the lowest number.

"So . . ." Syaoran started, "you're _not _going to tell me where you work?"

Sakura shrugged. "It's not really as if you tell me anything about you," she said quietly, shelving away a manga book.

Syaoran was surprised. "I didn't think there was anything you wanted to know," he said before he could stop himself. Quickly he recovered with: "I mean people talk about me all the time? It would be harder to _not_ know anything about me. I'm just trying to level the playing field."

"It's hardly fair when all there is about you are nothing but rumors." Sakura paused and added, "Besides, I can't trust someone who says they like me one moment and flirts with other girls and jokes around with his friends the next; especially when you don't know the kind of people they really are."

"Oh and you do?" Syaoran retaliated. What did she know about his friends anyway?

"Yes!" she whispered bitterly. "They're not anything like how you think they are. And for some reason, you try to be like them."

"I'm my own person; I don't have to try to be like anyone. If anything, they're trying to be like me."

"Boy, I hope not. Otherwise, you're just as bad as they are, worse even."

He crossed his arms over his chest. _Why is she making a big deal out of it_? he thought. One second they were joking and being sarcastic, the next she's all up on him about his friends. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sakura laughed bitterly and shook her head. "Forget it," she mumbled, going back to push the cart to the other side of the room.

He caught up with her and blocked her path. "What's the big deal? What do you have against my friends?"

"If you don't know then you don't know them at all," she countered back and continued to drag the cart. He grabbed hold of the other end before she could get very far. Sakura sighed in frustration. "What?"

"I do know my friends and I know they're not bad people."

She knew it was wrong for her to get all worked up about Kou when Syaoran knew nothing about it. Ryouga seemed to form a dou with Kou to torment her for whatever reason while Jun would stand there watching and do nothing as she was both physically and verbally abused every day. At least Syaoran had the guts to stand up to the school. He wasn't all bad but still . . . "If you say they're not bad people fine, who am I to say otherwise? But be careful, but one bad seed can ruin it for everyone."

"I am not a bad seed! I'm a good seed!"

There was a brief silent pause before Sakura burst out laughing. "I wasn't talking about you," she managed to say between giggles. Syaoran muttered a soft "_Oh_." Sakura continued to drag the cart away. She was still silently laughing as she put the books away.

"So . . ." Syaoran whispered in a low seductive voice, leaning one hand casually on the pillar behind Sakura. "You don't think I'm a bad seed, huh?"

"Not entirely, no." Syaoran looked down as he chuckled, his bangs covering his face. When he looked up he gave her _The Face_. Sakura did a double take and stared at him weirdly. They stood like that for a few moments until Sakura finally asked, "_What_ are you doing?"

"I'm giving you _The Smolder_," he said, trying hard not to break it.

Sakura blinked. "The what now?"

"_The Smolder_. You know, the one Flynn Rider from _Tangled_ does. Except I find that mine is more effective."

"Because _you're_ doing it?"

"Precisely."

"Well," Sakura said, covering her mouth with her hand, trying not to start laughing. "I _have_ been affected."

Syaoran couldn't help but smile, breaking _The Smolder_. Sakura ducked under his arm to continue to put books away. She was nearly done; she only had the biographies to do. "So what do you have against my friends anyway?" He figured it was safe to go back to the topic now.

"I'll tell you when you're ready."

"Ugh, you sound just like Wei."

"Who?"

"He's technically my butler but he's more like a family friend. He taught me martial arts since I was young and even when I wanted to learn harder things he always said, 'I'll show you when you're ready,' or something along those lines. It was so annoying. But, because of him, I am now one of the top three martial artists in the nation. "

"Let me guess, you're number one?" She said as she shelved a book on Charles Dickens.

"Well, I didn't want to brag or anything," he said, flipping his hair with his hand.

Sakura snorted. "How modest of you."

"You still haven't answered my question."

Sakura's smile slowly fell. "It's almost better you don't know."

Syaoran frowned. "You keep saying that. Why won't you ever tell me anything? I've been left to find out for myself." He sounded frustrated and Sakura couldn't blame him; she'd be too if she were in his position. But he was so naïve to what's been going on in the school to the point it was almost innocent. She didn't want to corrupt his views of his admirers because of her.

"I'm sorry. I just don't . . . feel like I can trust you yet," she said carefully.

"If we _were_ together, do you think you could trust me then?" he asked.

Her back was facing him as she was putting the last few biography books away. "I don't know . . . maybe."

He bent down close enough to whisper in her ear, "Then I will make you mine."

Sakura's head snapped to face him, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

He smirked as he started walking away. "I will make sure that you, Sakura Kinomoto, will be my girlfriend."

**x~X~x**

"You actually _said_ that to her?" Jun howled with laughter. Syaoran had met up with him, Ryouga, and Kou after leaving Sakura and her . . . thoughts back in the library.

"Yeah, man. You should have _seen_ her face. It practically read, _what the fuck, Syaoran_?" Syaoran laughed, sipping on his hot coffee he picked up from one of the school vending machines.

"_Syaoran_? You two seem to be getting along better than expected," Kou sneered.

"Please, I have this thing in the bag," Syaoran said. "I just have to somehow make her my girlfriend, earn her trust, and the rest will fall into place."

Jun patted his back. "Nice bro, she'll be saying 'I love you' in no time."

"Well, if you can't earn her trust, you've got nothing." Kou took a sip of his own coffee. "Girls are weird like that."

Syaoran sighed and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. "That's the thing. I don't know _how_. I can normally just get any girl by just _talking_ to her but she's . . . different."

"Different how?' Jun inquired.

"I don't know . . . She's incredibly sarcastic, she doesn't look like she wears make-up at all. I guess she is pretty, but she doesn't seem to care what others say about her. And she has the most unique color of eyes that look right into yours whenever you talk to her . . ."

"Dude, you're not seriously falling for her already, are you?" Ryouga gave him a sly grin. Syaoran playfully punched his friend in the arm.

"Please, it's only been a week. It takes more than that to get me to fall for someone. Anyway, it's not like I know much about her. She seems to be opening up a bit more but I can tell she still has her guard up all the time. And now when I want to plan stuff with her, she says she has to _work_ or something."

"Well, at least she's not lying," Kou said. The rest of the three guys stared at him incredulously. "What? She really does have a job. More than one, actually."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how . . .?"

"You don't mean she's a . . ." Jun let his words fade, not wanting to say it.

Kou howled with laughter. "No, not anything like that." Syaoran and Ryouga joined in the laughter. "Her brother used to have jobs all over town. When he quit to go to college Kinomoto started looking for jobs and all his past employers hired her because of how well her brother worked."

"Get out," Jun exclaimed at the same time as Syaoran asked, "She has a brother?"

"Yeah," Ryouga chided towards Syaoran's question. "And if you _do_ become her boyfriend, make sure you have your will already written. He's crazy protective of her."

"Speaking of, can I have your laptop?" Syaoran glared at Kou, whereas the latter boy merely shrugged and grinned.

"Ha ha." Sarcasm was evident in Syaoran's voice. "I bet he's not _that_ bad," he murmured into his can.

"And _that_ is the one bet you can actually loose! Congratulations, man." Kou patted his back. Ryouga laughed.

Syaoran smiled. It felt nice to hang out like this. His friends, how would Sakura know otherwise anyway. Sure they may come off as jerks most of the time, but they weren't that bad. He remembered that they all, ironically, became friends through a bet. It was during Syaoran's first week at Tomoeda High. The cold winter air blew harshly outside the window. As usual, Syaoran's mere presence demanded attention, whether he wanted it or not. And that day, he did _not_ want it.

They had first moved to Tomoeda, a small town on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, to expand the Li Company. His mother decided to spread the company overseas and was set on tackling Japan first. But she didn't want to have a city life again for Syaoran so they moved to Tomoeda instead, where Tokyo was just thirty minutes or so away by car. There was also a train that connected the two cities.

Syaoran thought that since it was a suburban town, he wouldn't be recognized as easily and finally be able to live a somewhat normal life. How wrong he was. A Hong Kong reporter leaked that his mother was planning on expanding the company to Japan that by the time they reached the airport, Japanese reporters and paparazzi alike were already lined up waiting to snap pictures of their arrival.

His first day of school was hectic. Girls were already throwing themselves at him; welcoming him, offering to give him a tour of the school, some even asking for a picture or autograph. He was just glad they didn't hold a huge party in his honor. In accordance to passing the entrance exams with flying colors, his mother was able to pay for his tuition for all three years in full so all the teachers and staffs were _extra_ nice to him.

He remembered how foolish he felt for thinking that people in a foreign country wouldn't know who he was. Everywhere he went, someone wanted something from him. He was tired of people acting fake around him as if if they got on his bad side he'd use his fortune and influence against them. Even if they had, Syaoran wasn't that kind of person. Li Yelan taught him better than that. And because of that, Syaoran remembered that was the reason why he was drawn to Kou, Ryouga, and Jun. They weren't fake around him, not in the least.

_Syaoran was sitting at his desk one morning, his chin propped on his hand as he stared out the window, watching the other early birds enter the through the gate; he had gotten there a little too early since he didn't feel like putting up with other people's fronts. He saw three figures approach his desk through his peripheral and looked up to see the three of them with Ryouga in the middle. "So," Ryouga spoke up, taking the seat in front of his, turning his body to face Syaorans', "you seem pretty popular with the ladies."_

_Syaoran merely shrugged and continued to stare out the window. "It's not my fault they find me irresistible."_

_The three had, to Syaoran's surprise, laughed. Usually when he said stuff like that, guys would glare at him. He knew they all thought he was being a dickhead for saying so but really, who were they kidding? It was true. Syaoran found himself smiling at the three of them._

_"You know, we're not bad looking ourselves," Jun said._

_"Not bad, but you probably wouldn't stand a chance against me." Syaoran said._

_"Oh, really?" Kou piped. "Wanna bet?"_

_Now Syaoran was interested. "How so?"_

_"Numbers."_

_"Numbers?" echoed Syaoran._

_"Easy, whoever gets to most numbers from girls by the end of the day, wins the bet," Kou explained. Immediately the other two agreed._

_"So what do I get when I win?"_

_"Confident, aren't you, Li?" It was Ryouga that time._

_"You could say that."_

_"How about cash? It's always more fun when you're playing for keeps," Jun suggested._

_Syaoran waved it off. "I have enough money, thank you."_

_"Then you wouldn't mind getting rid of some when I win," chided Ryouga. This perked Syaoran's ears._

_"How about __1000, as well as the loser treats the winner to anything they'd like after school. Ice cream, takoyaki, jelly buns, whatever," Kou suggested. "Deal?" He put his hand in the center. Jun put his on top followed by Ryouga. They all turned to Syaoran. He pretended to think about it before smirking and adding his hand to the mix._

_"Deal."_

Needless to say, Syaoran won. Followed by Kou, Jun and Ryouga close behind. It was a very close call. They all shared the same sense of humor so being with them felt normal and that he didn't need to try to be anyone but himself when he was around them. It was the first time he felt accepted. Since then, they'd come up with ridiculous bets—as well as the award money getting higher and higher—but no matter who won or lost, they didn't hold it against one another and still remained close friends. Syaoran could honestly say that they were the closest friends he's ever had. They were good people. Sure they were jerks at times, but deep down, they weren't bad at all. He only wished Sakura could see that.

**x~X~x**

Sakura walked through the empty hallways with a stack of papers in hand. One of the media specialists sent her to make copies of the list of new releases for next month. Sakura had just finished and was on her way to return back to the library when she heard a faint sound of something chiming down the hall. Curiosity got the best of her and she followed the sound.

It led her to the music room. Sakura peaked inside through the slightly open door to see Syaoran at the grand piano with a great number of girls surrounding him. They had that dreamy look in their eyes as they watched him play for them. Having played many video games with her brother before, she recognized the song to be _To Zanarkand_ from Final Fantasy X.

Sakura smiled to herself and let the soft melody resonate in her ears, taking her to another world. Certainly there was an aura of expertise in it, but also of something else. Passion. She could tell he loved playing the piano. The small smile on his face was proof enough of it. Her smile got slowly bigger as she watched Syaoran submerge himself in the music as well. Men always become five times more charming when they showed they had talent playing the piano or any other instrument for that matter; and by the number of girls surrounding him, Sakura wasn't the only one who thought so.

Syaoran looked up for the first time once he had completed the song. His eyes caught Sakura's across the room and she immediately pulled back and hid herself from view. Not wanting to be caught should he come to the door to question her, she hurried down the hall to deliver the copies in hand.

Syaoran could only stare where he had seen Sakura; he could have sworn he saw a tint of appreciation in them before he was swarmed with requests.

**x~X~x**

Syaoran walked aimlessly down the empty hall. It was after school and he didn't feel like going home just yet. He wanted to see if he could walk home with Sakura but she was pulled aside by one of the teachers, Yukari-sensei. At first he was considering waiting for her but she took her stuff with her so he could only do what he was doing now, walk aimlessly around the school hoping she hadn't left already.

In the distance he could hear a faint and delicate noise, like wind chimes shaken by a storm echoing down the hall. As it grew louder he could identify the sound of something he was well acquainted with and grew to love. The sound of the piano was being played with desultory but undeniable skill. He followed the sound to the music room and peaked inside to see Sakura at the piano bench, her eyes closed and her slender hands moving across the keys with a certain elegance and expertise. He couldn't put his finger on what the song was, exactly, but it had a powerful yet soft, sad tune to it. He must've made some sort of noise because Sakura had stopped playing and looked up towards the door. "Who's there?" Her voice called out.

Slowly, Syaoran entered the room, making sure to slide the door shut behind him. Her eyes widened in surprise and he could tell he was the last person she had expected. "Hey," he greeted.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

Hands in pocket, Syaoran sauntered over to her and leaned against the piano. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought you said you had to work."

Sakura shrugged. "I don't technically have to be there for another hour or so. My shift starts at five."

Last time he checked his watch, which wasn't even that long ago, it was a quarter till four. "What did Sensei want?"

He saw her shrug and not a moment later did a high C chime across the room. He could tell she was uncomfortable just by her reluctance to meet his eyes. "She wanted to know if I was auditioning for the musical."

"What for?"

She shrugged again. "I don't know. She probably has me in mind for a role." Another note echoed through the walls. "It doesn't matter anyway. I was planning on doing tech. I am President of Production after all."

"You're what and you were planning on doing what?"

She finally looked up to face him. "President of Production. It's the person in charge of all the technical aspects of the theater. You know, lights, sound, set, costumes, make-up, hair, props . . . the whole shebang."

"It seems like quite a lot for one person."

"It can be, but it's what I love to do." And he saw it; something small sparkle in her eyes. People were always much more attractive when they were talking about something they loved.

Syaoran walked around the piano and took a seat next to her on the bench. She didn't protest; instead she scooched over to give him more room. "So what brought you here, then?"

Sakura shrugged. "You, I guess."

"Me?" He was bewildered.

She played a few random keys with her right hand. "Hearing you play today made realize that I haven't played in a while. I missed it." She turned her head to face him. "Did Wei-san teach you how to play?"

He hesitated. "Yes and no. At first it was my father. He taught me when I was still really young. After he died my mother took over seeing how much I loved it, but she got so busy with all the responsibilities that came with running the company that eventually Wei took over." He wasn't sure why he had told her all this. He was never one to talk about his personal life, especially when the topic shifted to his father. But being with her like this, there was a sense of vulnerability that hadn't been there before. Her guard was up, but she didn't have any witty remarks or sarcasm in her tone. She seemed almost sad.

"I'm sorry to about your father. I heard he was great man." Her voice was only just above a whisper.

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks." Clearing his throat, he decided to change the topic. "So, um, who taught you how to play?"

"My older brother. And my mom taught him."

_So she _does_ have an older brother! _he thought. Instead he said, "Couldn't your mom teach you like she did your brother?"

Her eyes shifted back to the piano. "Well, to be honest, I don't know if she did or not. She died when I was only three. I . . . I barely remember her."

"Oh. I'm so sorry." He knew what it was like to lose someone you love. And he knew what hurt the most was when people would ask how they died, not wanting to relive the past and all that. So he didn't ask.

He at least had memories of his father. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not; every time he recalled memories of them together, it only made him sad because it felt like that's all he'll ever have left of him. But Sakura had none of that. She was too young to even comprehend that her mother would no longer be with her. Too young to remember what she looked like or even what kind of person her mother was.

Sakura shook her head and her left hand wondered to the necklace she always wore. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. Besides, we always have pictures of her around the house, and my brother and dad always talk about her whenever I ask them so it's almost like she's still with us."

Even though there was no tension between them, what she said did lighten the mood a little. "So," he said with a slight cough, making _another_ attempt to change the subject. "Teacher wanted you to audition for the musical, right?" She nodded. "Don't you have to be able to, like, sing for that?"

Sakura laughed. "Well it's not called a musical for nothing."

"Then, will you sing for me?"

"Ah-ha— No," she deadpanned, waving her hand as to shoo the thought away. "I'm not that special."

"Please?"

"No."

He poked the side of her stomach causing her to give out a yelp. "Please?"

"No."

"Please?" Another poke.

"No. And stop poking me," she said, slapping his hand away.

He pouted. "Please?"

"No."

He lowered his head and when he looked up, he was giving her _The_ _Smolder._ "Please?"

Her sweet laughter filled his ears. "Nu-uh."

He had no choice but to go for his last resort. He raised his right hand and caressed her cheek. He felt her jump impercibly at his touch. Her cheeks were turning a light pink hue and he lock her eyes with his, trapping her with only a gaze. Slowly, he lowered his head until their foreheads met, her glasses brushing his cheeks but all he could seem fixated on where her jade green eyes. He could practically see the warning signs flashing in her mind through them but she didn't move away from his touch.

"Please?" he whispered. He knew he had her. He was so close to her that he could practically feel her heart beat escalating under his fingers which had traveled down from her cheek to her neck.

She opened her lips and he'd thought he'd get the confirmation he wanted. Instead he was graced with another: "No."

He pulled back, chuckling. "You're incredible, you know that?" She didn't reply, only smiled sheepishly. "I still want to hear you sing though."

She threw her arms in the air and they flopped onto her lap. "Why do you want me to sing so badly?"

He shrugged. "Just do."

"And you're not gonna let me leave until I do which would cause me to be late for work and possibly get me fired."

"Aw, you know me so well."

Sakura sighed. "Fine. What do you want me to sing?"

"You're really going to?"

Sakura had to smile, seeing his eyes light up like a child's. "Sure. Now pick a song before I change my mind."

Syaoran wracked his brain for a song. Except he wasn't sure which songs _she_ knew let alone her musical preferences, so he told her to sing whatever she wanted. She was silent for moment. Her eyes were on the piano keys and he could see her eyebrows scrunched up as she thought of song. Observing her, he thought she looked kind of cute like that; like a little kid thinking of their favorite ice cream flavor.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "This is one of my dad's favorite songs. It's called Only Hope. He says it reminds him of my mom whenever I play it for him." She placed her hands over the keys and took deep breath. She looked over at him once and said, "You've been warned." He chuckled and she began playing.

_"There's a song that's inside of my soul_  
><em>It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again<em>  
><em>I'm awake in the infinite cold<em>  
><em>But You sing to me over and over and over again<em>

_So I lay my head back down_  
><em>And I lift my hands<em> _and pray_  
><em>To be only Yours<em> _I pray_  
><em>To be only Yours<em> _I know now_  
><em>You're my Only Hope."<em>

He was mesmerized by her voice as soon as she sang the first note. He could clearly hear every word, every vowel, every consonance . . . every emotion as she sang. When she had her eyes open, they were distant, as if recalling a past memory. He wondered if she was thinking of her mother. A small, delicate smile graced her lips as she sang.

_"Sing to me the song of the stars_  
><em>Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing<em> _and laughing again_  
><em>When it feels like my dreams are so far<em>  
><em>Sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again<em>

_So I lay my head back down_  
><em>And I lift my hands and pray<em>  
><em>To be only Yours I pray<em>  
><em>To be only Yours I know now<br>You're my Only Hope."_

Something warm inside him filled him up. He was entranced by her. Her small, slender hands as they moved across the piano, her voice radiating in his ears. He didn't think he had heard anything so beautiful in his life. The sun radiating into the room from the window to their left had started to lower slowly but surely and the orange-pink hue sky accented her every feature. It was then he realized she really _was_ beautiful. She wasn't "dolled" up like she had been on their date, but this was her and she was beautiful.

_"I give You my destiny_  
><em>I'm giving You all of me<em>  
><em>I want Your symphony<em>  
><em>Singing in all that I am<br>At the top of my lungs_  
><em>I'm giving it back<em>

_So I lay my head back down  
>And I lift my hands and pray<br>To be only Yours I pray_  
><em>To be only Yours I pray<em>  
><em>To be only Yours I know now<em>  
><em>You're my Only Hope . . ."<em>

He could see it in her eyes as she slowly came back to reality. She hadn't looked at him once as she sang and now that she did, he could see every emotion she had to have been feeling as she sang; sadness, joy, peace, all danced in her jade green eyes. She smiled softly as she finished up the last of the notes.

_"Mmm mm-mm-mm mm-mm-mm_

_Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ooo . . ."_

Syaoran couldn't help himself. Those lips. That face. Those eyes. The light glimmering behind her. Her mouth in a perfect _O. _Caught in the trance that only she could have ever put him in, he reached out to touch her as he leaned closer and ever so lightly, his lips brushed hers.

* * *

><p><strong>Only Hope<strong>

by

**Mandy Moore**

from

**A Walk to Remember**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 6**

**riley s** I really liked your idea. I incorporated the first part of it a little in this chapter toward the end, if you noticed.

**Black Rabbit** Oh wow? Really? Once it's over let me know if it was exactly like what happened to you. I'd like to know. You could possibly help me the most then. I really liked your ideas and I wished to have discussed them with you. Anymore that you have, please share them. As you can see, I've already used up one . . . I think . . . ^-^

**Anony** Well then welcome back! As for Sakura's dad, don't forget that he's an only parent and that she goes to a private school (not only that but the top private school in their town) so it's pretty costly. I'm sure he's tried to before but there are richer kids than her out there, and money is a main factor in almost anything in life, unfortunately. You'll just have to read and find out. As for the "where was Syaoran that morning," I take it you mean when they plastered her picture all over the entryway? It's a surprise. LOL Lots of people are. But that's probably not for a while now. A lot of happy stuff happens first! Thank you so much! I enjoy long reviews!

****Please Read****

So it's been like, what, two months? Almost? Sorry. I've so busy trying to complete all my classes in order to graduate. Even now, I've "temporarily postponed" doing my online math class to finish this chapter for you all. Please accept this long-ish chapter as today is technically my last day since I'm exempted from all my other exams. My Drama teacher even said I couldn't come to her class anymore after today! Can you believe that? I almost started crying since that theater, that stage was like my home away from home.

Speaking of, yes that musical thing will have a big effect on later chapters. I thought I let it go after _Syaoran Why?_ but it sneaked up on me and I just _had_ to incorporate it again. So I'm going to YOU, my lovely readers, what musical would you like their school to put on? And **Wolf Blossom**, no you cannot choose The Lion King. The rights for it haven't been out yet and they could get in serious shizz if they decided to put that show on and the rights people found out. I want to make this as realistic as possible so whatever show gets picked, know that whatever goes on in the theater, I have taken from my own experiences. That's how much I love you guys. I'm willing to share something so precious to me with you.

Thank you to everyone who has been patiently—or not so patiently—waiting for this chapter. I hope I didn't disappoint. I'm so blessed to have readers like you. =^~^= I graduate June 2nd. Yes my childhood is almost over but you know what'd be a great graduation gift? If I reached 200 reviews in less than 10 chapters. I'll admit, I silently set goals every chapter for myself (like "if I get so and so reviews I'll update on this day; I do better if I give myself a deadline), and every time you all go above and beyond. You will make one author and soon-to-be grad student very happy if you do! ;) I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated May 22, 2012**

P.S. My Twitter and Tumblr are now posted on my profile. Just take out the spaces! ^-^


	8. Fix a Heart

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 8: Fix a Heart**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. Not only for this story, but for the previous ones as well. You know who you are. :) Happy birthday to main artist of CLAMP, Mokona Apapa! Whose birthday is today, June 16! **A special updated announcement at the end!**

* * *

><p>Sakura groaned upon the shop bell ringing; not because she had more customers to deal with but because of <em>who<em> the customers were. She could faintly hear Kou say in a somewhat hushed tone, "See, I told you she'd be here." Sakura put away the glass cleaner just as the four teens sauntered over to the display case.

"Welcome to Chiroru. What I can get for you today?" Her customer friendly smile was professionally plastered on her face; she did her best to avoid making eye contact, especially with a certain brown haired boy.

The unmentioned teen smirked and turned to the other three. "Anything you guys want? My treat."

The three leaned closer to the display case. Kou's hair was so fair it was almost a gray-ish white color and fell over his eyes as he peered through the glass. Ironically enough, his unique choice of hair color made him look younger, not older. Sakura could feel his piercing red-brown eyes on her as she took out a box and parchment paper to place their items in, but when she looked back to face them, awaiting their orders, his attention remained on the items behind the glass.

The light brown hair and light grey-blue eyed one Sakura knew to be Jun, was practically drooling as he examined the treats. Ryouga was hard to miss with his tall stature and, Sakura noted, he was the embodiment of what a handsome Japanese male should look like. His chic black straight hair fell over his eyes and he pushed his locks back impatiently. He seemed indifferent to the matter, though had a smug look on his face while examining his drooling friend. His brown eyes were such a dark shade that they were almost black andwere void of any sort of happiness the sweets would give any normal person.

It wasn't fair, Sakura thought, that these four unnaturally attractive boys were to be the bane of her existence. Sakura snapped out to reality when she felt someone pull the empty box out of her hands. She turned to find her co-worker, Omura Yumi; they were the same age though went to separate high schools. Yumi had dark brown hair and eyes. A kind smile graced her face that told Sakura she would take care of the boys for her. Sakura smiled thankfully and quickly hugged the girl before returning to the counter.

Syaoran took his friends' distraction as an excuse the sneak over to Sakura's side of the counter. Sakura's costumer friendly smile was back on her face. "Yes, sir?" she asked politely, seeing as Syaoran wasn't moving from his spot.

He leaned on the counter and said, just loud enough for only her to hear, "Why did you run away before?"

Sakura knew what he was talking about. Just after he had kissed her back in the school's music room, there was a moment of silence between them. Both looking at each other; her with her green eyes wide with shock and surprise, and him just examining her, taking in her every feature and hoping he hadn't scared her too much with the sudden action; he hadn't known what came over him.

Syaoran normally laughed at people who talked about a kiss "just happening." Now he knew what they were talking about. As she played the piano and sang for him, it was all he could do but take in everything that defined her, the downy curve of her shoulder, the pulse at the base of her throat . . . the shape of her mouth, her lips slightly parted in a perfect O. And he was swept through with a wave of desire, a kind he has never experienced before. He's desired girls before, certainly, but he had always thought of desire as hunger, a need for a sort of fuel that the body wanted.

He has never felt desire like this, like a fire that burned away thought, that made his hands thrum with nervous energy. He could feel her warmth radiate from her body and a trembling hand had wondered to her cheek. She was soft and delicate and he was kissing her.

And he was astonished. He doesn't work like this; his body didn't do things without his permission. It is his instrument, and he has always been in perfect command of it just as he has been trained for years now. But the sweet taste of her lips were addicting.

Realizing what he had done, he pulled away, slowly though, as to savor every last bit. He was just about to apologize for what he had done—though he wasn't sure why, he wasn't sorry he had done it in the least, but seeing her shocked expression definitely made his heart churn and felt like he owed her at least that—when she abruptly stood up, quickly gathered her stuff, and bolted out of the room as fast as she could.

Instead of answering his question, she merely replied with, "Sir, you're holding up the line, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step aside."

He looked over his shoulder to see a mom and her kid patiently waiting their turn. Grumbling, he turned back to face Sakura. "This isn't over yet," he quickly whispered before joining his friends who were now spewing out what they wanted from the bakery to Yumi.

A shiver ran through Sakura's spine but she quickly recomposed herself. She smiled when she heard the little boy say to his mother, "I wanna do it this time." The woman smiled affectionately at her son and allowed him to do so by handing him some cash. He thanked her with a big toothy grin before approaching the counter.

Sakura leaned over and smiled sweetly at the adorable boy. "Welcome to Chiroru. What can I get for you today, young man?"

The little boy puffed his chest out at being called a "man" yet at the same time completely disregarding the "young" part. Smiling a toothy smile, he pointed to the stack of foot long French baked bread behind her. "I would very much like to have some of that bread, ma'am."

Sakura looked behind her quickly and pointed at the specified bread. "This kind?" He nodded vigorously, his black hair flopping up and down. Sakura giggled. "How many would you like?"

"Uhhh . . ." He turned back to face his mom who motioned the number two with her fingers. "Two, please," he said politely.

"Sure thing." Sakura ruffled his hair where he in turn giggled as she made her way to the breads and took two out. She placed them neatly inside a paper bag and made her way back to the counter. "That'll be ¥350, please." He got on his tippy toes and placed the money given to him by his mother on the counter. She divided the difference and opened the cash register; printing out a receipt and taking out the appropriate amount of change. She handed both items to the little boy before handing over the bag carefully.

"And for being such a big boy," she added, grabbing a small piece of parchment paper and taking out a chocolate chip cookie from inside the display case full of a variety of cookies; she handed it to the small child and smiled, "here's a cookie."

His light brown eyes lit up at the free treat. He took the cookie and ran back to his mother. She kneeled down and took the bag of bread from him and he handed over the change. "Look, mommy! I got a cookie!"

The woman smiled sweetly at her son as she stroked his head. "I know, I saw, Yuichi. Did you thank the nice lady?"

The boy, Yuichi, blushed in embarrassment. Quickly he turned back to face Sakura and bowed politely. "Thank you, kind lady."

Sakura giggle and smiled back. "Call me Sakura."

The boy rubbed his nose and smiled back. The mother stood up and thanked Sakura, taking her son's hand and leading him out of the bakery. "Bye, bye, Sakura-chan!" he called back, waving his free hand which held the cookie in the air.

Sakura smiled and waved back. "Bye, Yuichi-kun!"

Unbeknownst to her, Syaoran saw the whole encounter with a warm smile on his lips.

**x~X~x**

"Good work today, Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled down at Yumi who was holding the dust pan in place for her. "You too, Yumi-chan."

"You both did a great job," Ueda Hiroyasu, the manager of Chiroru bakery, commented. He was tall with dark eyes and black hair, but was the kindest person Sakura knew, next to her father. He was currently thirty-nine but he had a baby face so most people mistook him for someone much younger. "You two can go home now, I'll finish up here."

Sakura bowed politely and went to the employee locker room; Yumi offered to take the trash out for the night. Sakura was just about finishing up changing back into her school uniform when Yumi walked in. "Those guys earlier were pretty cute," she spoke out. "Do you know them?"

Sakura shrugged indifferently, knowing exactly which guys she was referring to. "They go to my school."

"Then the brown haired one must have been Li Syaoran, right?"

Sakura laughed. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Well, he just told me, actually. He's outside waiting for you."

Sakura almost choked on air and Yumi merely laughed. "He's what?"

"I said he's out—"

"I heard you," Sakura quickly intervened. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance; she was contemplating on whether or not to use the back exit.

"Do you want me to tell him you already left?" Yumi asked in concern.

Sakura smiled at her co-worker as she cleaned her glasses before putting them back on. "No, I'll have to deal with him sooner or later. Might as well get it over with." She slung her bag over her shoulder and bid Yumi and her boss, Hiroyasu, goodbye.

To her surprise, she found Syaoran in what she assumed was his street clothes and leaning against a light pole a black car was patiently waiting behind him on the road. Sakura raised an eyebrow upon seeing him. Syaoran looked up and gave her a small smile.

"Hey need an ride?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I can walk."

"But it's really late," he insisted.

"Tomoeda isn't a bad town, I'll be safe."

She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks. "Please," he whispered. "I need to talk to you." His eyes were glassy. His voice was so soft it was almost heart wrenching. It was all Sakura could do to look away.

"Fine," she answered.

"Do you like it?" Syaoran asked referring to the car as he opened the rear door for her. "Didn't think you would agree if I brought a limousine." Sakura shrugged indifferently and gave him a small smile to tell him he was right. Syaoran slid in next to her. "To Sakura's house please, "he instructed the driver. Sakura stopped midway from buckling herself up and turned to Syaoran, her eyes silently asking how the driver knew where she lived. "I gave him your address beforehand," he answered. Sakura nodded and finished up her task from before. Sighing a deep sigh she looked out the window, she was sure if her brother saw her now, he'd go on a rampage.

They both stayed silent throughout the ride which Sakura didn't seem to mind but Syaoran seemed deep in thought. Sakura's mind was racing. That look he had given her earlier, it was overwhelming how vulnerable _the_ Syaoran Li could look; at someone like her no less.

They finally reached her house and the first thing Sakura noticed was that her father wasn't home yet; his car was gone. Syaoran got out first and held the door open for her. With a thank you and small smile to the driver she got out, Syaoran shut the car door behind her. "Thanks for the ride," she quietly said.

"It's no trouble," he replied, his eyes were serious as he looked at her making her slightly uncomfortable.

She looked from him to the car and back. He didn't seem in a rush to get back; he was just _staring_ at her over her with the most hopeless look in his eyes. She looked over her shoulder at the empty house and sighed. "Would . . . you like to come in?" She had said it out of politeness, internally hoping he would decline.

Syaoran smiled warmly. "Sure." He signaled to the driver that he was going in for a minute and the driver nodded and turned the engine off. Sakura mentally cursed. It wasn't helping her conflicted feelings with him doing a 180 on her and no longer being his obnoxious cocky self around her. His whole demeanor seemed to have been toned down.

He followed her as they climbed the steps up to her house. Unlocking her door, she took off her street shoes and replaced them with her house slippers and gave the ones they saved for any guests to Syaoran. She asked him to wait in the living room while she quickly ran upstairs to put her bag away and change. Syaoran, rather awkwardly, sat down on the L shaped blue couch.

Sakura came back to find Syaoran fighting back a hissing golden furred cat. "Kero!" she exclaimed. The cat's ears perked upon hearing his mistress. Sakura kneeled down low enough to catch the cat in her arms. "I'm so sorry about that. He's not usually like that around strangers. He's actually a people person, er, cat."

Syaoran laughed lightly. "It's all right." He waved off the matter, and Sakura caught his hand mid wave.

"You're bleeding!" she exclaimed. She frowned and glared at the fat cat in her arm. "Kero, look what you did! You scratched him!" Kero looked indifferent at the matter. Actually, Syaoran could almost see a smug look on his feline face.

Sakura left the room and came back with a first aid kit. She sat next to Syaoran with Kero on her lap. She told the cat to stay put and placed the kit on the other side of her. "What did you say to him?" Sakura asked, taking out a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. She rolled up his sleeve and examined the cuts. They were deep but luckily not too deep.

"What makes you think I did anything?" Sakura was almost amazed that he didn't even wince as she cleaned up his wound. Syaoran watched her closely as she focused on taking care of his arm.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. "Kero doesn't attack anyone unless he feels he has reason to. So obviously _you_ must've done something."

"All right," Syaoran surrendered. Good to know she trusted her cat more than him. "I simply commented to myself that he was a little fat for a cat," Syaoran admitted begrudged. Kero hissed once more and Sakura shushed him, returning her attention back at Syaoran's cuts.

"He doesn't like being called fat," she stated.

"I noticed," Syaoran murmured. Sakura laughed lightly as she stripped a large Band-Aid and angled it right over his arm, it was large enough to cover the scratches. He smiled without meaning to. Which is unusual in and of itself. He missed her laugh; he wished she would do it more. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" she answered, heavily concentrating on properly placing the Band-Aid on his arm and smoothing it out gently when she succeeded.

"Why do you always look so sad?"

Sakura stopped momentarily. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and continued to smooth out the Band-Aid. "Many reasons, I guess."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to tell me I'm wrong?"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm too tired. Besides, you're half right."

She looked up and their eyes met for a split second. Her eyes dancing with the same look they would occasionally do before she snapped back to her former self and build her wall back up. Sometimes when she looked at him that way he found himself almost blushing; a feeling so strange he almost didn't recognize it. Li Syaoran doesn't blush. "I don't get it. You always have a smile on your face, no matter how badly everyone treats you, you're always smiling. Why?"

Sakura only replied him with a small smile. "Because," she whispered, "it hurts them more when I smile."

Syaoran frowned. "What?"

"I already told you," she said, packing up the kit. "It's better to kill them with kindness."

There was silence; the only sound audible was Kero's purring as Sakura stroked the cat. Finally Syaoran said, "They've broken you down, haven't they?" It came out more of a statement than a question. Sakura only smiled, her attention on Kero as she scratched behind his ears.

"The same goes for you," she whispered.

"Sakura—" He paused and started again. "I want to—"

"Don't," she quickly said and stood up and walked away, Kero still in her arms.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." He followed her to the foyer.

"I think it's about time you head back, Li-san." He didn't move. "Li-san—"

"I'm not leaving."

Sakura sighed. "Fine. _Syaoran-kun_, please, it's time for you to go. You can't leave your driver out there all night." Her eyes were back to being emotionless. Everything he saw in her back in the music room, back just _moments_ ago as she was tending to his arm was now gone and he knew she wouldn't let him catch her off guard again.

Syaoran scuffed and moved to change back to his street shoes. Sakura could only watch. "You're impossible, you know that?" he murmured, opening the door.

"Which is exactly why you can't fix me," she answered back. "Not any more than I can fix you."

Syaoran stopped dead in his tracks. "You're wrong," he whispered, his voice held something Sakura had never heard in him before causing her to look at him. His voice uneven as he spoke. "You already have."

**x~X~x**

Half the day had already passed and he couldn't even get one word in with Sakura. Today, all the girls decided to be overly clingy. He was glad when he saw that they had a fifth period study hall. Upon seeing him at the door, Sakura got up and started walking away from the classroom. He tried calling out for her but he was bombarded with the girls in the class to spend time with them. By the time he finally got free, she was nowhere to be seen. He cursed under his breath and ran his fingers through her hair.

He felt someone tap him on the back and turned to find Jun. His blue-gray eyes were mischievous as he pointed a thumb behind him. "She went that way, man."

Syaoran smiled and patted his friend's back. He muttered a quick "thanks" and ran down the hall. It didn't take him long to figure out where she was going from this route.

Sakura was sitting on one of the library's comfy couches, book on her lap. She felt someone shift next to her and looked up to find Syaoran, his arms thrown on the back of the couch and staring out to appear as if he's been there the whole time. Sakura ignored him and went back to reading.

"Hey," he greeted.

She flipped the page.

"What are you reading?"

She held the book up for him to read the cover himself. _A Tale of Two Cities_, he mentally noted, and she shifted the book back comfortably on her lap.

"Is it any good?"

She didn't respond.

Syaoran sighed and shifted his body so it faced hers. He lowered his voice. "Sakura-chan, I'm trying here, okay? Please, I want to protect you from everyone that's harmed you."

"Sounds like bull," she finally said, shutting the book and standing up.

Syaoran frowned and stared at her. "Which part?"

"All of it." And she walked way. He cursed and ran after her, managing to block her path before she got to the doors.

"Well it's not," he said firmly.

"Prove it." She shoved passed him and exited the library, she was practically running down the steps when he finally composed himself and continued to chase after her.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!"

She whirled to face him and he, thankfully, stopped just in time as to not collide with her. "Give up, Li-kun. I already told you, you can't fix me. And I don't know how you think you can. I don't need you to pretend like you're my friend all of the sudden to 'fix' me," she hissed.

"Maybe I don't want to just be your friend."

"You don't know what you want." Sakura was just about to turn away from him when he caught her shoulder and held her in place.

"Neither to do you," he said firmly. "You know, maybe you're just too scared that someone might actually want to be with you."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together to form a frown, her eyes held a sort of determination Syaoran had never seen before. "And why would that scare me?" she challenged.

He gladly accepted her unspoken challenge. "Because you wouldn't be able to hide yourself from them. Because you're afraid that they will leave you or hurt you if they saw the real you, but I would never do that to you."

Sakura stared at him. There were so many things running through her mind but she chose to just let them go. She did what she always did when someone, anyone, called her out in any way; she smiled and turned away.

Determined not to let her get away, Syaoran ran up and blocked her path once more. "No— no. You know the reason why you're scared? It's cuz you want to be with me too."

Sakura just stared at him, her eyes void of any emotion. Syaoran didn't dare say another word after that but opted for trying to read her mind, to see if anything he said struck a chord. But he couldn't.

After what felt like forever, Sakura opened her mouth and said, "Please don't talk like you know me."

Sakura thought she heard his voice shake as he answered her with, "I can't." Sakura said nothing and so he continued. "I have already begun to get to know you and I can't stop, even if I wanted to. You're a brave girl, but even you can't face the world alone. Let me help you and I swear you will earn the respect you deserve from each and every one of those bastards who put you down every day."

Sakura lowered her head and Syaoran immediately took her body in his arms. She stiffened but didn't make a move to pull away. He noticed she was trembling ever so slightly. She was so small and skinny that his arms wrapped around her completely. He felt her shift more weight onto him and his grip tightened to steady her.

He could tell she was willing herself not to cry by how her body shook and he drew soothing circles down her back.

"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "You don't have to be alone anymore. I'll be here for you."

Sakura pulled away. "Thank you," she said in just above a whisper. "But I don't need your help. I'll be fine, really. I've . . . dealt with this for so long, that it's like I have become numb to it all."

Syaoran stared at her, concern visible in his eyes. He smiled and tucked a stray lock of hair affectionately behind her ear. "Then at least let me be the one to help you feel again."

* * *

><p><strong>Fix a Heart<strong>

by

**Demi Lovato**

from

**Unbroken album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 7**

**Cocoa** LOL Yeah. It's all about people's experiences.

**BlossomCutie **YAY! Hopefully you didn't wait too long for this one. ^-^

**Littlepuppyislost** I updated! :D

**Haven** I probably didn't update as fast as you wanted me to, but hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

**AngelWings Joy** LOL Aw, thank you so much. You're so sweet.

**LadyMidnightGuardian** Thank you so much! ^-^

**Angelicskye123** Really? O.O Thank you so much. I'll try to update faster.

**Anony** Aw thank you. I hope this chapter met your expectations.

**Trololo- oh wait he died** You were number 200! :D Sorry about that, but it's just the format I have it in. ^^' Hey, to each their own, right? ;)

***Please Read***

I wasn't planning on making an important announcement for the end of this chapter but then FFN added this really cool new feature called Image Manager where your stories can now have covers for them like books! How cool is that? So I thought it'd be fun to hold a little contest. Basically, you're coming up with the cover for Middle of Nowhere! But how will you submit your entry you ask? DeviantArt, baby! ;D If you have one simply send me the link to your entry in a note. If you don't have a Deviant Art account, you can either A) make one, or B) "borrow" from someone you know who **_does_** have one. I'd prefer a traditional art or digital art entry, please. So no cosplay even though they're fun. Sorry! All the info for the contest will be up sometime around Monday, which is when the contest begins. You have from now until Syaoran's birthday to submit an entry. I was planning on submitting a chapter by then anyway, but don't worry, that doesn't necessarily mean I'll stop updating until July 13. I'll try to update as much as I can in between. You can find the link to my DeviantArt page at the very end of this author's note or on my profile; just take out the spaces.

Also, on a side note, for anyone who's currently reading this and has asked me or plan to ask me to be their beta reader, I ask for your patience. I'm honored that so many people have recently asked me to be their Beta Reader, but I do have other projects on my hand so the amount of time it'll take me to send your documents back to you could take longer than they normally do; especially **Wolf Blossom** who has a new chapter or new story up practically every day! XD Or **Aesha **whose chapters are over 9,000 words! Not always but you know, recently . . . It's okay, I still love them to death. Oh and if you asked me to be your beta and your reading this and you haven't heard from me or gotten anything back from me in a WHILE, drop me a PM because I most likely forgot about it . . . I'm busy okay? But seriously, along with those I beta for, I ask for my reader's patience as well when it comes to updating either of my stories. Thanks!

That being said, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed. I actually reached 200 reviews in less than 10 chapters! O.O Honestly, I held off in writing this chapter until I reached 200 so I apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed. :/ Womp womp. It's my fault for procrastinating. T.T Happy birthday to Mokona Apapa once more! I love you all and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated June 16, 2012**

P.S. My deviant art is (hopefully) on my profile, if FFN would let it in.


	9. Guilty Beauty Love

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 9: Guilty Beauty Love**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. You have no idea how grateful I am :) Also, today is my love's birthday! So a very, very happy birthday to Syaoran Li! *happy dance* I'm sure he'd love me for this chapter. XD Sorry for the wait! **A special announcement at the end!**

* * *

><p>Sakura came out of the shop to find Syaoran waiting for her again. Just merely standing there, his very presence seemed to embody a sort of shining perfection. Sakura shook her head and smiled softly to herself, walking over to where he was.<p>

Syaoran smiled upon seeing her.

"You're here again?" she asked.

"Well you said you were booked this whole week, so I'll take what I can get," he said, opening the door for her.

Sakura slid inside the car and waited for him to do the same. When he didn't get on right away like usual, Sakura leaned over and looked up at him with those big green eyes of hers. "You coming?" His heart skipped a beat and he couldn't stop the smile forming on his lips. Her expression faltered and her eyes had a questioning look in them, as if wondering why in the world he was smiling at her like that.

"Sorry," he said, slipping inside and buckling up. "I was just thinking about how I could help you. I haven't been able to do much this week."

"Well the week is almost over so you don't have to worry about it," said Sakura.

Syaoran playfully shoved her head to the side. "Buckle up; I don't want my driver to get a ticket because of you."

Sakura rolled her eyes but buckled up nonetheless, Syaoran staring at her as she did so. She looked up as soon as she was done and gave him a weird look. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Syaoran shook his head and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Nothing," he said, his hand moved to caress her cheek, "You're perfect." He could see a tint of pink forming on her cheeks and he wanted to laugh at how adorable she looked.

Sakura snapped her head to the front. "D-don't say things like that," she said timidly. "I don't know how I should respond them."

"It's not that hard. You could say thank you."

Sakura lowered her head so that her hair covered her face. It was small, but he heard her mumble a, "Thank you." Syaoran smiled and motioned the driver to drive. They were silent for the first few blocks. "Please stop staring at me, it's embarrassing," Sakura blurted out.

"How do you know I'm staring at you? I could be looking at the scenery going on next to you."

"You have a window on your side," Sakura said. "Look at that instead."

"But the view from your side is so much better." Sakura bit her bottom lip but didn't say anything after that. It was technically his car anyway—he could do whatever he wanted.

Sakura was looking out the window when she felt something hard on her shoulder and looked to see Syaoran leaning his head on her. "What are you doing?"

"Shh, tired. Sleeping," was his only response.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but closed it and decided to let him sleep. For the rest of the ride they stayed like that. He almost groaned out loud when Sakura announced they reached her house. He didn't want to let go of her, so he didn't and instead wrapped his arms around her from the back and rested his chin on her shoulder when she made a move for the door.

"Syaoran-kun?"

He smiled. He loved the way she said his name.

"Please just let me stay like this for a little while longer."

He felt her nod and her hands reached up to place on top of his arms. He didn't know how or when, but he had fallen for Kinomoto Sakura. He meant it when he said he wanted to fix her, to help her feel again, to hopefully have her feel what he did for her. He wanted to protect that beautiful smile of hers, and for her to never have to show her fake one ever again.

"I have to go now," she said after a while.

He nodded and reluctantly let go of her. She opened the door and slipped out and he followed her out to walk her to her door; she turned to face him as soon as they reached her front door.

"Thank you for the ride." Her sweet voice filled his ears. He smiled.

"Anytime." He hesitated before asking, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "See you tomorrow."

He made sure she was safely inside before going back inside the car and motioning the driver to return home.

_Sakura_, he thought to himself, smiling as he looked out the window, _I don't know how you did it, but you got me to fall for you before I could make you fall for me._

**x~X~x**

"Syaoran-kun, no!"

"Come on, Sakura-chan, it's time you faced them once and for all," replied Syaoran, continuing to push her back.

"I don't want to," she whined back.

Syaoran sighed and stopped pushing. "Look, I don't know why you don't like my friends but I'm not going to ask why anymore. I just need you to trust me." He held his hand out to her and eyed her expectantly.

Her eyes went to him, his outstretched hand, and back. She bit her lip unconsciously and hugged her books closer to her chest. One hand wrapped around the necklace he had always seen her wear. After what felt like forever, her hand moved away from her necklace and laced her fingers through Syaoran's.

Syaoran smiled and pulled her along. He knew she was scared out of her mind but whatever had happened in the past, he swore to help her overcome it. He swore he'd get the school give her the respect she deserved if it was the last thing he did.

"Everyone," Syaoran announced to his lunch table, "I'm sure you all know Sakura-chan. She'll be eating with us today. Sakura this is Kou, Ryouga and Jun."

Sakura gave him a side glance but didn't dare say anything. Jun, Ryouga, and Kou could only stare at their friend's declaration, mouths half open in mid-bite. Sakura bowed politely upon the introduction. Syaoran sat down on the bench and patted the seat next to him, inviting Sakura to sit. Sakura gave an awkward smile and sat down, her eyes glued on the table.

"So, Sakura-chan, right?" Sakura's eyes snapped to meet Kou's red-brown ones. She raised her eyebrows, telling him she acknowledged him. "Syaoran has certainly told us much about you."

Her eyes shifted to Syaoran. He was smiling down at her. "Is that so?" she answered, her eyes still on him.

"Oh yes," Ryouga intervened. "Are you two friends now or something?"

Sakura's eyes locked with Ryouga's and gave him a small smile. "Something like that."

Hanako and her three friends arrived then. She gave Sakura a weird look and Syaoran immediately placed his hand over hers, he perfectly remembered what Hanako's friends, Mimi, Makoto, and Mie, had done to Sakura on their first date.

Hanako saw the gesture and sat on the seat in front of Sakura. "What's Kinomoto doing at our table?"

"She'll be eating with us today," Syaoran answered. "I thought it'd be good for her to experience a new environment."

"I see." Hanako's eyes remained trained on Sakura.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to shrink away and disappear. It was so uncomfortable for her to sit here with her bullies. And to think they were being civil with her only because Syaoran was the one who invited her.

"Sakura-chan." Sakura looked over at Kou once more. "Where's your lunch?" The question seemed innocent enough for those who didn't know, but she could see the sadistic smile forming on his and Ryouga's face. She wanted to roll her eyes at them or scowl so badly but refrained from doing so.

"I forgot it at home," she answered.

"Which is why," Syaoran intervened, "she's sharing with me."

He picked up a roll of sushi with his chopsticks and held it out for Sakura. Sakura's eyes widened. She felt as if everyone in the room was looking at her, anticipating on her next move. Her eyes met Syaoran's, they had a certain spark to them she'd never seen before. Slowly she opened her mouth and he fed her the roll. After that, everything seemed to have gone back to normal, the cafeteria roared back to life in Sakura's ears and their lunch table chatted with one another.

Syaoran offered her a pickle and she shook her head, denying the vegetable. "You don't like pickles?" he asked. Again, Sakura shook her head. He gave her a cute pout before stuffing it in his mouth.

"So, Sakura-chan," Hanako spoke up, her tone indicating she was making an effort to talk to her, "what's your favorite nail polish color?"

Sakura glanced at her bare nails. "I don't really paint my nails," she answered.

"You don't like to?" Mimi asked.

Sakura shook her head.

"So pickles and nail polish," Syaoran said. "Is there anything else you hate that I ought to know about?"

Sakura had picked up his cup and looked at the table over the rim of the cup. "Liars," she said. She knew it was daring to say that, but she didn't care.

"I don't really like it when people try to be someone they're not to get other's attention," said Hanako. "I think it's a shame when someone tries to change for someone else even though it's pointless."

Sakura had enough. She knew it was a mistake from the beginning. "I better go," she said standing up.

"You've hardly eaten anything—," Syaoran protested.

She brushed aside his reaching hand. "I'm not hungry."

She quickly gathered her materials and was just walking away when she heard Ryouga scuff and say, "Shocker." Sakura stopped and took a deep breath before continuing to walk away.

**x~X~x**

Syaoran found Sakura in the empty classroom, her head down on the table and headphones in her ears; her head facing the window. "Sakura?" he called out. She didn't hear him. Sighing, he went up to her and tugged the headphones off. Sakura turned her head to face him. Her eyes were void of any emotion.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered, kneeling down in front of her. "What happened back there?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered, taking the earphone to put back on her ear.

Syaoran took her hand in his, stopping her from doing so. "Okay," he said. "You don't have to tell me."

She gave him a questioning look. "You've given up on me already?"

"Not in the least." He smiled. "But I noticed that I drive you away more when I pry. So you can tell me whenever you're ready." He lifted her hand and pressed his lips against the back of her hand. "And I'll be the luckiest guy alive when you do."

Sakura fully sat up now and asked, "Why's that?"

"Because then that'd mean you trust me, and I'd be one step closer to healing you."

Sakura gave a soft laugh and playfully nudged him. "You don't have to act like you like me, you know."

"Who ever said I was acting?"

Sakura blinked and her smile slowly fell; she felt her heart beat start to escalate. Her hand suddenly seemed warmer in his.

Syaoran smiled. "And I know you like me too, you just can't accept it."

"Oh? What makes you think I like you?" she asked.

"Well for one," he stated, "you haven't pulled away yet."

At that she tried to pull her hand away but he held it in place. "Don't," he said, standing up and walking behind her desk to embrace her from behind. "It's better like this."

Sakura rolled her eyes but squeezed his hand as a small thank you gesture.

**x~X~x**

They were walking to school together again. This had now become a daily thing for them. He'd meet her in the corner and they'd go from there, and he'd walk her all the way back home when she didn't have work or claimed to have a rehearsal. She stopped going to lunch with him, saying she wasn't quite ready yet and was glad he understood.

"Hey, Sakura-chan?" he voiced.

"Hmm?"

"You do know that I was serious when I told you I liked you, right?"

"I honestly can't answer that," she replied. "If you say you are, who am I to tell you different?"

"Are you afraid to be with me because of what everyone in school will do to you? I saw that picture they drew of you."

She knew what he was talking about. The students had drawn a picture of her on a school wall, a big mural, but surrounding her were threats and insults. She knew the kind of influence he had on everybody, she just never expected it to have escalated to what it turned into. Now, almost everyone bullied her because of the alleged relationship going on between the two of them, even though Sakura hadn't agreed to be his girlfriend in the least. She did feel something for him, but she wasn't sure if it was pure friendship blossoming or something else.

He had changed since he had first approached her, and he defended her in every way possible when she was being bullied, which she was grateful of, but it only seemed to feed the idea of their relationship even more. She even started smiling more around him, a real smile.

"I have a theory," he announced.

"Yeah?"

"Everyone seems to think we're together, right?" She nodded. "Then why not just get together already?"

Sakura laughed as they approached their shoe lockers. Once she opened it, however, dozens of rose petals erupted around her. "Wha—?" She turned to face Syaoran only to have a bouquet of flowers shoved in her face.

Everyone around them seemed to stop what they were doing to see what was going on.

"Kinomoto Sakura," said Syaoran, loudly. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Simultaneous gasps could be heard around the room.

Sakura's eyes widened. "I—" She looked around her, everyone was staring at her. If she accepted, she'd be dead. If she declined, she'd be dead. In the end it didn't matter what her answer would be; she'd be dead either way.

Sakura turned back to Syaoran. He raised one eyebrow at her in a playful manner. She thought back to all the times he had saved her.

"Well?" he asked, smirking that adorable smirk of his.

"I think," she said slowly. His eyes twinkled in expectation. "I think we should just stay friends first."

Syaoran's shoulders slumped slightly but he still kept the smile on his face. "I figured you'd say that. I guess I'll have to try next time," he said brightly and offered the flowers to her once more. He nodded his head when she silently asked if it was okay with her eyes and she took them gratefully. He placed one hand over hers and pulled her in to give a quick, loving kiss upon her lips. Sakura was just as shocked as the people around them.

"Hey, you wanna die?" she exclaimed. "You can't kiss me out of nowhere like that!"

Syaoran laughed as he started backing away. "Even if I died today, I'd die as the happiest man alive." And he ran away but not before adding, "Even if you did reject me _again_!" Slamming her locker shut, she ran after him. He wasn't going to get away with something like this.

News spread like wildfire. Every time they passed someone, they had already seemed to know what had happened. Sakura had finally caught up with him, grabbing him by his wrist, and he was still laughing.

"Okay, you caught me, what are you gonna do now?"

"I—you!" she stuttered. He was smirking at her. In her frustration she sissy slapped his hand.

"That's it?" He laughed.

Sakura dropped his hand and pouted. "So what?"

He laughed once more and hugged her. "Did you like it the second time around?"

"No," she deadpanned and shoved him off her.

He took her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. He was sure she'd never know how he truly feels about her, but that was fine by him, as long as she remained safe.

"So what's this so called theory?" she asked.

"Well, I was thinking that if we were together, people wouldn't bother you as much. They all _love_ me, and if we were a couple, they'd have to love you, too. You know, eventually."

"That's the stupidest theory I've ever heard."

"Yeah well, there are some stupid people out there," said Syaoran. "Come on, I'll prove it to you; I think I can still make it work."

He took her hand and led her to the courtyard. He stood up on one of the benches and hollered to get everyone's attention. Immediately, they all surrounded him like bees to honey.

"Listen up, everyone! There have been rumors that Sakura-chan has been 'courting' me, if you will, but after that embarrassing rejection earlier—" he shot Sakura a playful glare who in turn simply bit her lip. "—I'm sure that, by now, you all know that it's the other way around." There were hushed voices going around. Syaoran paused momentarily before speaking once more. "So if I find that anyone has been picking on her in any way shape or form, they'll have me to deal with. Understand?"

A wave of nods from the crowd formed.

"Good. Now, I hope you treat her with as much respect you've treated me."

Jealous glares were sent her way as he led her to the classroom but everyone kept their distance. Upon entering homeroom, every person turned to face them and bowed. "Good morning. Kinomoto-san," they greeted in unison.

"Uh, yeah, good morning," she answered, rather awkwardly.

Syaoran laughed beside her. "See, what did I tell you," he said low enough for only her to hear, "being admired isn't all bad. Sometimes I can use it for good, too."

Sakura could only laugh. Deep inside, she was hoping this wasn't a one-time thing, and that her time at school would be a little bit more pleasant. She managed to steal a glance in Syaoran's direction. A warm smile formed her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Guilty Beauty Love<strong>

by

**Vic Mignogna***

from

**Ouran High School Host Club***

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 8**

**.Mine** Correct! I wanted to see how many people got the reference. Apparently a lot. O.O

**Littlepuppyislost** Aw, you're welcome! Yes, you got the reference too.

**dealand** Aw, really, thank you so much! ^^

**Cocoa** Yup! But she's also starting to trust him more

**FYI** I know, I have taken the appropriate measures. Read all the italicized to see what I mean.

**reader** Thank you! I updated!

**Anony** Yes, I completely agree with you. But even though she agreed to be his girlfriend now, it doesn't necessarily mean she completely trusts him yet. Once they're in a relationship it will start growing more and more! I have something special planned for that part of the story. ;) Thank you so much!

**Kiyomi** Aw, thank you so much. That really means a lot so thank you!

**Anonymous** LOL Thank you. I really tried making this a good one good.

**Anonymous (2)** Yes.

**Anonymous (3)** I did!

**Anonymous (4)** I did! It's not over yet!

***Please Read***

For my old readers, you might be saying, "where the eff are the lyrics?" For this chapter, they will be temporarily posted on my profile. The * next to the artist and where it's from is because, yes, it is from Ouran, but the English voice actor of Tamaki, Vic Mignogna, made a cover of it in English, which is what I used as inspiration for this chapter instead of the original Japanese version. But it's a pretty close translation so no worries. ^-^ So yeah. Also here's what I think about the new 'cleansing' FF has been doing:

_Due to FFN's policies, I have decided to take out the "Song" part of the fanfiction. Meaning that I have completely taken down the lyrics corresponding to the chapters. As of now, I will no longer add in the lyrics of the featured song in the chapter. Like many of you, I am well aware of the "cleansing" that FFN is doing and I don't want to see this story get taken down so I decided to take out the part that makes it a song fanfiction—that being the lyrics. If you actually liked having the lyrics right there to see which lyrics inspired what, I'm so sorry you have to read this but I hope you make do without them. Now, if you thought they were annoying, then you have nothing to lose. If you're indifferent to it all, that's completely fine. I just don't want to get in trouble with the people in charge which is why I decided to take this course of action. I will still have the name of the song as the chapter as well as a reminder of it with the artist and where it's from at the end. So if you want to listen to the song while you read to hopefully get that same feeling, you can. I personally don't see the harm in Song Fanfictions but then again, there are a LOT of songs out there . . ._

_Yes, I know about the petition going around but I'm telling you now, I am not signing it. It'd be wiser to petition for FFN to allow Song Fanfictions or the MA rating again, not to stop them from doing their job. These rules have been in place for a decade now and as authors, we agree to the rules and guidelines every time we post a new story. I will admit I skip past it sometimes but I do go back and read them every once in a while to see if they have revised it in any way. So if they do decide to allow song fanfictions again, I will gleefully repost the chapters with the lyrics on them. But as of now, I will leave it as is. If you'd like to read how the chapter would've looked like with the lyrics on them, I will post them on my Deviant Art (the journal explaining the cover art contest has also been posted and had now started) which can be found on my profile. I will, from now on, post an announcement on my Tumblr and Twitter to inform you when I have updated, for you social media peeps out there. Sorry about the news but it'll still be the same story, I promise._

That being said, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed. Almost 250 reviews! I know I'm late so I apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed. :/ Womp womp. It's my fault for procrastinating . . . and for watching _Dream High_, which caused me to prolong the chapter. It has taken over my life, I swear! I know there are MANY mistakes on this chapter but I will go back and fix it later, I swear. For now, enjoy the crappy verison! Oh and for all the people I beta for, expect your chapters back after the 18th, thanks! Happy birthday to Syaoran Li once more! I love you all (but mostly him . . . Just kidding . . . Partially . . .) and don't forget to review!

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated July 13, 2012**


	10. Someday

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 10: Someday**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** So sorry for the late update . . . More apologies at the end. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p>Sakura peaked out the girl's bathroom to check if the coast was clear. Seeing no one around, especially a certain brown haired heartthrob, she snuck out and walked down the hallway, hoping not to cross by anyone. Shifting the stack of boxes comfortably on her hands, she made her way to the back end of the Drama room.<p>

She caught her reflection in the window; her eyes were puffy from crying earlier and she had been working late all week due to rehearsals ending later and had pulled four all-nighters in a row just to keep her studies up. She caught sight of Hanako and her friends chatting as they walked outside the crisp winter air from the other side of the window. Sakura envied Hanako for her beauty; she had a doll-like face, able to catch the eye of anyone she passed by, and beautiful blond hair which she had bleached to get it that way their second year, fair skin, enticing sultry eyes, and the perfect body to match—it's no wonder she was the longest lasting girlfriend Syaoran ever had. She was beautiful in every sense of the word and Sakura knew she could never compete with her. She knew if Hanako and Syaoran were to someday get back together everyone would rejoice and give their blessings; the exact opposite of what Sakura had been receiving for the past few days.

Sakura looked down at the boxes in her hand, tears swelling up in her eyes. For the past few days, letters and notes have been stuffed in her shoe locker, and bigger "gifts" were sent to her house—she was glad she was the one in her house to always get the mail and not her father. At the time Syaoran asked her to be his girlfriend, she knew she'd be on the wrong end of the spectrum no matter which answer she gave; she knew that if she had yes the girls would have had a hissy fit to no end, but maybe they would have eventually accepted their relationship like any other celebrity couple that decided to come out to the public. Now she wondered if she made the right choice. Maybe she really should have accepted after all.

After his announcement in the courtyard, they _had_ stopped bullying openly, but they found a new—and in her opinion a more effective—way of bullying her.

Sakura sat one day during lunch at her secret place and went through each and every one of the letters. But they weren't letters; they were threats—death threats, some directed towards her, and some to the people who wrote them. All for the same reason: because she was now Li Syaoran's newest eye candy. She wondered if other girls he dated had this happen to them too. Probably not as bad.

She had received torn up teddy bears smeared with fake blood—or real blood, she couldn't tell which was which—and dead flowers with notes attached telling her to stay away from him, that she wasn't good enough for him, or that if she ever got together with him and broke his heart they would surely come after her. She was more afraid of the ones that said they'd kill themselves rather that the threats directed at her; she never wished to cause any harm to anyone.

Just thinking back to the day she sat down and gone through everything sent to her brought new tears to her green eyes. She knew if Syaoran ever found them he'd go berserk so she hid them from him—he's done more than enough for her as it is, even though it caused more harm than good, his intentions were in the right place—and packed them up in the boxes she was currently carrying, determined to throw them out in the only reliable place she could think of where no one would find them: the dumpster behind the shop of the theater.

"Sakura-chan, is that you?" Sakura stopped walking and stiffened, hoping and praying it wasn't who she thought it was.

She looked behind her and sighed in relief. "Oh, it's only you."

"Hey no need to sound disappointed," he laughed. "Just call me Jun; most of Syaoran's girlfriends usually do."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"Yet," Jun added. "Besides, the attention that's been on you two lately, you might as well be."

Sakura looked down, biting her lip. "We're just friends."

"Well, any friend of Syaoran is a friend of mine. You can just call me by my first name."

"Thanks," Sakura said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Sakura was just about walking away when Jun's voice called her back. "Hey, um, mind if I ask you something?"

Sakura blinked but nodded.

"Why did you say you wanted to be his friend first instead of completely saying no?"

Sakura's eyes shifted to the boxes in her hand, mentally arguing the pros and cons. He was the one that had that innocent air about him, a little dense and air-headed at times, but still the friendliest compared to Ryouga and Kou. Finally, she decided to give a vague truth. "He makes me feel safe," Sakura answered meekly.

"So . . . do you love him?" Jun asked again.

Sakura sighed. "I can't say I love him, it's only been about two weeks since we started getting close. But in time, maybe I could, I don't know . . ."

Jun smiled. "That's good. Oh, Syaoran's been looking for you by the way; told me for you to meet him in your classroom if I found you."

Sakura nodded. "Okay, tell him I'll be right there. I just have to take care of, um, an errand for a teacher."

"Is that what those boxes are for?"

Sakura's feet shifted uncertainly, a bad habit of hers whenever she found herself lying. "Y-yeah."

"Well, here, let me give you a hand—those must be heavy."

"N-no, that's all right," Sakura quickly said, shifting the boxes to the side. "I got them; they're not heavy at all."

"Come on, you can't even see where you're going."

"No, that's all right. I— Ah!" Somehow, Sakura managed to trip over her own feet and went tumbling down. All but one of the boxes remained closed and intact. Sakura quickly picked herself up and dumped the spilled contents back into the box.

"Here, I'll help you," Jun offered, his hand already reaching for a torn up bear.

"No, I got it—"

But it was too late. His whole body went numb as soon as he got a better look at the stuffed bear covered in fake (or real) blood. Throwing it into the box, he picked up any papers he could find and scanned through them. Biting her lip, Sakura managed to stuff what remained back into the box before Jun could see any more of it all, sneaking glances at his rigid body in the process. She snatched the papers from him and stuffed them into the box, securing it closed once more and stacking one over the other.

Jun grabbed her arm just as she was about to get up. "Hey," he said, barely above a whisper. "Does Syaoran know about this?"

"No," Sakura answered and stood up. "And I'd prefer it if you kept this a secret from him too."

"You have to tell him. You have to tell someone about this!"

Sakura glared at him. "I don't have to tell anyone anything."

Jun grabbed her arm, forcing her to stay put. "This is serious, Sakura-chan, you're in danger. What if those aren't empty threats?"

"So what? Why should you care?" Sakura shove her arm free. "Who are you to worry about me now anyway? All you do is stand there and watch while Kou and Ryouga patronize me everyday. You doing nothing is just as bad as actually doing it. At least Syaoran-kun had the decency to stand up for me when he first found out about it but you, you just keep quiet and watch like a coward; as if it'll go away if you ignore it."

"I'm . . . sorry," Jun said quietly, his gray-blue eyes reflecting his sorrow. "I never knew it was this bad for you."

"If you really want to make it up to me," Sakura said, "you won't mutter a word about these to Syaoran-kun."

Jun looked down, avoiding her gaze. What she said was completely true and for the first time, he felt ashamed of himself. "Okay."

Sakura sighed in relief. "I'll be going now." Bowing once, she continued walking to her destination.

Jun was about to offer his help once more but thought better of it. Running a hand through his light brown hair, he walked the other way, her words still ringing in his head. He was still deep in thought when he found Syaoran wondering the halls; by his body language, Jun could tell he was still looking for Sakura.

"Syaoran," Jun called out. "I found her so just head back to your classroom, I'm sure she'll be there soon."

Syaoran sighed in relief. "I turn around for one second and she flees." Syaoran chuckled. "Where was she?"

Jun shrugged his shoulders. "I just found her walking down the hall. She said she had an errand to do for a teacher first and she'd meet up with you after." Syaoran nodded as they both headed back to his classroom. "Hey, she can be a real punk sometimes, huh?"

Syaoran laughed. "And stubborn as a mule."

Jun smiled. "But she isn't a bad person at all. She's really brave and strong for putting up with everything that's been thrown at her."

"Yeah," Syaoran agreed, smiling. "You really have to admire her for that."

Jun put a strong, warm hand on Syaoran's shoulder. "I hope you don't break her heart."

"I don't think I can. I mean, she's not my girlfriend yet, right?"

Jun laughed. "I guess that's true. But hey, you might have to eventually talk to the others about changing the conditions of you-know-what."

Syaoran frowned. "Why's that?"

"Because there's no way you won't end up falling for her first. And if you do, they'll try to change it so that you will lose."

Syaoran's heart almost sank. He had forgotten about the bet. _You have no idea_, he thought.

**x~X~x**

Sakura dusted her hands as she threw the last of the boxes in. Sighing sadly she trudged her way to her classroom where Syaoran was sure to be by now. She took one last glance toward the dumpster. Shaking her head, she continued walking away, telling herself it would die down eventually. She heard Jun's voice echoing in her head—about it all possibly being true; could people really stoop so low? She didn't know, but she was scared to find out.

Sakura felt the inside of her coat pocket vibrate followed by a song. She dug deep into her coat and pulled out her phone, answering the call.

"Hey, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura answered in a bright tone.

"And when were you planning on telling me Li Syaoran—_the Li Syaoran_—is your boyfriend, Kinomoto Sakura?" Tomoyo accused.

"Hoe? What are you talking about? He's not my boyfriend."

"Don't lie to me, young lady. It's all over his fan sites. Now talk, tell me everything."

"Tomoyo-chan, I'm still at school—"

"I know your schedule, and I sure as hell know you're free right now. Talk."

Sakura groaned. "Before you say anything, I can assure you I'm not his girlfriend, okay?"

"Then why do all his fan sites say otherwise?"

"I don't know." Sakura shrugged. "They probably think I am because he told the whole school he was courting me and completely ignored the little tidbit of me rejecting him that morning. You shouldn't believe everything you read, Tomoyo-chan, especially when it comes from delusional, angry fans."

"Wait? You rejected him? Li Syaoran. You rejected Li Syaoran."

"Does that actually surprise you?"

"Well, I guess not. But why didn't you say yes? I thought things were going great between you two."

"Well, I mean, he's been really nice and protective and he doesn't show his cocky side as much anymore, but when flower petals erupted from by locker and he practically shoved a bouquet in my face and drops the bomb with everyone staring at us waiting for _my_ answer, what was I supposed to say?"

"Uh, yes?" said Tomoyo like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And be torn apart by psyco fans? No, thank you."

"Which reminds me, don't look up Syaoran on the net. It's not pretty, but at least they've left you anonymous for now."

"Thanks for the heads up," groaned Sakura.

"So why did you reject him, really?"

"Because," Sakura sighed, "what if it's all an act? I mean, what if he turns everyone against me, even more so, you know?"

"Oh, come on, he can't be that heartless," Tomoyo said. "I think he genuinely cares about you, otherwise he wouldn't have put himself out there like that."

"I guess," Sakura sighed.

"Look, there's nothing more important to a guy than his reputation and pride, trust me, I know, but he's really putting himself out there for you. The least you could do is try to do the same. And who knows, maybe you two really will fall in love," Tomoyo assured. "If you're still feeling any doubts and he keeps asking you to be his girlfriend, just tell him you want to take things slow, I'm sure Li-kun will understand."

Sakura nodded. "Okay, I guess that would make it a little easier on me."

"Oh and be careful. If his fans know, the paparazzi are sure to find out too."

"Yeah, good point. Thank you, Tomoyo-chan."

"Any time. I'll talk to you later. Ja."

"Ja ne." And the line went dead. It had taken their entire conversation for Sakura to reach her classroom. Sighing deeply she slid the door open.

Syaoran cut off his conversation with Jun to look up and smile upon seeing her—they were both sitting atop some desks. Sakura smiled shyly and bowed politely to Jun. When she was close enough, Syaoran grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his arms; her back to his chest.

"Did you miss me?" he whispered huskily into her ear.

Sakura's face remained emotionless as usual and shook her head no. She glanced at Jun, silently asking him if he told Syaoran with only her eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile and shook his head slightly. She returned a small smile in gratitude.

She felt Syaoran's chest rumble as he laugh. "I know you don't mean that." He laid his head on her shoulder and quietly whispered, "I missed you too."

"Sakura-chan! There you are; I need to speak with you for a minute." Three heads snapped up to meet a young woman with wavy dark hair and eyes and flawless fair skin. She was only thirty but she looked much younger than her actual age.

Sakura blinked. "Oh, um, sure thing, Yukari-sensei." Assuring Syaoran she'd be back, she followed her Drama teacher out into the hall.

Syaoran's eyes followed her every move—he could see them perfectly from where he sat. He saw the young teacher explain something to Sakura causing her to put her hands over her mouth before bowing repeatedly, Yukari-sensei smiled and held up a hand to reassure her before speaking again. "I wonder what they're talking about," Syaoran said, more to himself than to Jun.

His friend shrugged. "Who knows."

Sakura came back looking utterly dejected—shoulders slumped, head down, arms swaying back and forth as she walked.

"What happened?" Syaoran was the first to ask.

Snapping back, Sakura smiled and waved it off. "It's nothing. I just have to work harder!" She made a fist in front of her and a look of determination crossed her eyes. It was short lived when her eyes lost that fire and her hand slumped down to her side. "Oh, but then there's that too."

Jun tilted his head to the side. "What?"

Sakura waved it off. "It's nothing. I just some Drama stuff."

"Come on, you can tell me." Syaoran gave her _The Face,_ causing her to laugh.

"You know that doesn't work on me," Sakura said. "But basically we're all preparing for Districts competition in Drama. One of my events is a duet but the guy had to drop it because he was already in so many—and he's the one who asked me to do it with him too, sheesh. So, either I find someone else before the registration period ends, or I drop out of that event."

"Why not ask Syaoran to do it?" Jun suggested, and Syaoran choked on air.

"Sorry, no can do. You have to be in the class, right?" he said, looking for an excuse.

"So? You can switch classes next semester, there, problem solved."

Syaoran frowned. "I'm pretty sure you have to be _in_ Drama in order to participate in their competitions."

"No you don't."

"Yeah you do."

"No, you don't."

"Yeah, you do."

"Actually," Sakura interrupted the two friend's bickering, "Jun-kun is right. We have a few new people from band and chorus who auditioned for the large group and got in. You don't have to be in Drama in order to audition. We're not the most popular club in school so we openly welcome new members."

Jun snapped his fingers and pointed to Sakura. "See! You can totally do it." Syaoran frowned. "Come on, do it for your girl."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something about the last comment, but decided to let it slip. Instead she said, "No, it's all right. I have other events I'm in so you don't have to do it, Syaoran-kun."

"Hey," Jun protested, slinging his arm around his best friend and pinching his cheek, "you can't let this spoiled brat get the better of you. I wouldn't say he's a _great_ singer, but he's not bad. Come on, man, you gotta earn some points somehow. What's a little singing gonna hurt?"

Syaoran grunted. "I'll think about it," he mumbled. Sakura's eyes widened and Jun's grin spread all over his face.

"Thank you," Sakura said quietly. The small smile on her face was enough to shut the two friends up before they could start bickering again.

**x~X~x**

Sakura had her head down on her desk, her head facing the window. She uncurled her fingers and shifted her hand slightly so her palm was facing her. She could visualize the new scars that formed over the past few days from behind her sleeve. She hated doing it to herself, but with each passing day more and more letters came in and it was the only way she knew to stop the voices she imagined as she read, and to stop them from haunting her throughout the day.

A lone tear escaped her right eye and it rolled over her nose and cheek before hitting the desk. Her hand clenched back into a fist and her eyes went back to staring at the world outside beyond the window.

"Hey, sorry for making you wait."

Sakura sat up straight to find Syaoran already sitting at the desk in front of her; his legs on either side of the chair and his hands crossed over one another on the back rest. He dropped some bread wrapped in plastic on her desk. "They only had the sweet kind, is that okay?" Sakura nodded. A few days after the declaration, they both agreed to eat in the classroom instead of with Syaoran's friends or her by herself—he didn't feel right leaving her alone for thirty minutes. Today, Sakura had once again forgotten her lunch; she didn't have much of an appetite these days anyway.

He tilted his head to the side, giving her a cute smile. "What's wrong?" Sakura remained silent and looked out the window again. Syaoran reached over both hands and grabbed hold of her cheeks, stretching them as far as they could. "Hey, come on, you seem more depressed now."

Sakura shook her head free and pouted. "I'm fine."

Syaoran laid his head over his arms and studied the girl before him. Sakura could feel his watchful eyes burn through her skin but remained stoic and stared out the window. After a while she lay her head back down on the desk, ignoring the bread he had bought for her. Syaoran chuckled and rubbed her head. He looked out the window too and spotted Hanako and her three friends.

"She's really pretty, isn't she?" Sakura mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess," Syaoran replied, continuing to stroke her hair and taking a bite of his own bread with his other hand.

She sat back up looked at him, curiously, and he couldn't help feeling that those green eyes could see right through him. "You two are friends now, right?"

His heart was still pounding. It took him a moment to understand the question. "Oh, yeah, we are."

"So it's not awkward between you?" Sakura asked. "I mean, you two used to date."

"Um, no, no; not at all."

Sakura went back to staring out the window. "Why did you two break up? You look perfect together."

Syaoran smiled to himself. "Maybe that's why: I was tired of being perfect." Her green eyes stared back to face amber brown ones. Hanako had told the whole school that she was the one who broke up with him—which wasn't true in the least—but he played along and went with it; he really didn't care. Hanako was the longest girlfriend he's ever had and they did get along remarkably, but everyone expected so much of the two of them, it got tiring appearing perfect for everyone.

One huge reason for the break up was her jealous character. If another girl even talked to him, Hanako would make a fuss. He found it cute at first, it showed that she cared deeply for him, but after a while it became a trait he found tiring. Another reason would have been her character. When they were alone, she was sweet and shy and cute, but in a crowd she just seemed fake, wanting to show him off to the world as if to say she was the best just for having him.

He realized her fake attitude and broke it off and offered to still be friends. But this girl before him, with her green eyes that pinned him like a butterfly, she was real. Like a voice heard in a dream, that you know comes from the waking world, she was real, piercing the distance he had set so carefully about himself like armor.

"She hates me," Sakura said. Despite everything, Syaoran almost laughed. Having dated, his feelings grew from lust to brotherly love when they broke up, so naturally he takes a certain delight in observing Hanako when she's frustrated. "You just make her nervous," said Syaoran. "She's always been the main girl in a crowd of adoring, attractive boys, and now she isn't any more now that I have my eyes on you now."

"But she's so beautiful."

"So are you," said Syaoran, automatically, and he saw Sakura's expression change. He couldn't read her face. It's hardly as if he had never told a girl she's beautiful before, but he can't remember a time it wasn't calculated. Even that first time he walked her home, he had meant to say so to get her to agree to go out with him. But this time it was accidental; and it made him feel like running home to his personal training room and picking up his favorite sword and slash, kick, and punch an invisible foe until he was bloody exhausted. She just looked at him quietly. The training room it is, then. Before he could go on as planned, a voice interrupted the silence between them. For the second time that day, Yukari-sensei had called Sakura over. Syaoran literally sighed in relief as Sakura stood up to make her way to her teacher.

"Sakura-chan, I was going to make this announcement in class, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you." Sakura frowned but nodded, letting her teacher continue. "Kohaku-chan has dropped the class and we need someone to fill in her role in the one-act. So I was hoping . . ."

Sakura's eyes widened, knowing exactly where this was going. "Oh, no, I can't. I mean, I'm the stage manager . . . I can't appear on stage for the competition."

"It's a very minimal set, we already have everything, and your stage notes are perfect, even a first year could call out the cues in your place. Besides, everyone in the class auditioned and you were close to getting the role."

"But—but, Yukari-sensei, I only auditioned for the experience and because you said it was part of our participation grade. You know I'm a technician at heart—"

"And a very good one, but you have potential to be a great actor, too. Just give this a shot, okay? I really think you can do this role."

"But—"

"Go for it, Sakura-chan." Syaoran was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and that adorable smirk on his face. "I'd like to see you on stage too."

Sakura turned back to her teacher. "Isn't there anyone else working the tech crew that can do it?"

Yukari-sensei sighed. "Well, I'll have to talk to Akihiko about it but we were both dead-set on you." At seeing Sakura's pout, she added, "This is a great opportunity. You've seen what the show is capable of, you and the rest of the cast can be the favorites at District. And you-know-who will be in the audience, I'm sure."

At this Syaoran snapped his head up, fully engrossed in the conversation now. Seeing Sakura's blush, he moved protectively to her side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Who is this person that will be in the audience, Sakura-chan?"

"No one," Sakura quickly said, her head down to avoid is eyes.

Yukari watched the encounter with amused eyes. "So this is the famous boyfriend everyone's in an uproar about, Sakura-chan? Why not have him audition for the musical too? I'm sure he'd get our audience to increase," she said laughing.

Sakura let out a small laugh. "I know he would." Syaoran caught the sarcasm in her tone. "And he's not my boyfriend."

"Yet," Syaoran murmured.

"I wasn't talking to you," Sakura murmured back.

"So, will you do it, Sakura-chan?" Yukari asked again.

Sakura bit her lip as she deliberated with herself. Finally she answered with a begrudged, "Sure."

"Great! We'll start rehearsing during class as usual. Don't worry if you get stuck, we're here to help you. We might go after school, but I'm sure that won't be a problem." She said the last part directed towards Syaoran, letting him know he might not see her after school. "I'll see you in class then, Sakura-chan. You have no idea how much you've saved us. I know we don't have enough time to prepare but I'm sure you can pull it off."

Sakura nodded. "I'll do my best." Both students bowed respectfully and bid the teacher goodbye.

"Well, she seems very . . . comfortable with her students," Syaoran muttered. Sakura laughed as they both re-entered the classroom, a few other students were also there, getting ready for the next class to start.

"Yeah, she's not the type to put the teacher-student barrier up. Since the ones that stay in Drama for all three years get to know her so well, she treats us like equal."

"Ah. So I'm guessing that I won't see you after school, then?"

"You heard the teacher, I have rehearsal after school. We shouldn't go over thirty minutes though. It's one of those rare days when we don't have anything after school and Yukari-sensei wants to go home as soon as possible."

Syaoran only nodded as the bell rang and the teacher entered. He smirked to himself, mentally planning on surprising Sakura after school.

**x~X~x**

Sakura bowed as the cast and crew were dismissed. She felt someone tap her on the back and turned to see Daisuke, a fellow cast member. He had long-ish brown curly hair and shining light brown eyes. His cheeks were always pink as he still had a baby-like face. He was only a bit taller than Sakura, but not by much—Sakura had once had a crush on him but never got the courage to say anything as they weren't all that close to begin with. He had a girlfriend from the Drama department who had already graduated but they remained strong as ever. When Sakura heard about it, she simply smiled and congratulated the two like everyone else. Over time, her feelings for him dwindled but she still liked and respected him; he was one of the best actors they had in the department. "Good job today. You were so hilarious. I didn't know you had it in you."

Sakura blushed. "Thank you. I didn't know I had it in me either."

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. Sakura inwardly smiled to herself and hugged him back. "I'll see you around," he said, pulling back.

"Yeah, see you." Sakura watched his retreating figure with a smile. Shifting her glasses, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed her books from a seat in the house where she left it. As she was exiting, she felt someone ruffle her hair.

"See, I knew you had it in you. Why did you first want to decline the role, girl? Do you not trust my judgment?"

Sakura laughed. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Akihiko-san."

"You better be. Now get out of here, I wanna go home." He playfully slapped her back, causing her to laugh more.

"Fine, I'm leaving. Tell Yukari-sensei I say bye." Sakura saw Akihiko nod as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Who's that?"

Sakura jumped. She turned to see Syaoran, still in his school uniform, leaning against a metal pole. Sakura sighed in relief. "You scared me!"

"Who's that?" Syaoran repeated.

Sakura looked back to see Akihiko talking to another student. "Oh, that's Akihiko-san. He's Yukari-sensei's best friend and he wrote and is co-directing the one-act we'll be taking to competition. He's not a teacher here so I doubt you'd know about him. He only comes for rehearsals or to teach our improv troop—which he's in charge of by the way."

"Is he gay?" Syaoran asked, examining the man. They began to exit the school building through the side gate of the auditorium.

"Yeah," Sakura answered almost immediately. "So you have nothing to worry about."

Syaoran saw her secretly smile and he scuffed. "Please, I'm not worried."

Sakura giggled causing him to smile too. She seemed so much livelier after coming out of rehearsal than he had ever seen her, ever. Perhaps the people in Drama were much more accepting of her than the rest of the school. He wished he could at least take the class to see how they treat her. It nerved him that the last period of the day he wasn't with her—it was getting harder and harder for him to be away from her for too long. He was considering Jun's earlier suggestion of switching out for the second semester just to stay near her and continue to protect her.

"Um, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura shyly spoke. He loved it when she said his name.

"Hm?"

"Before you ask me out again, I want you to know that I want to take things slow. When you first asked me to be your girlfriend, I was both shocked and happy. But I don't want to cause any trouble so . . ."

"I understand." He took her books away from her and laced his hand through hers and continued walking.

"And also you, um, you don't have to do the duet or anything if you don't want to." She looked up at him over her glasses. He couldn't help but think she looked too cute for her own good looking at him like that. "I know you're still thinking about it, but I want you to know you shouldn't feel pressured by it. I can find someone else or just drop the event entirely. I have other events I can do anyway, so it's okay."

Before Syaoran could even open his mouth to answer, they heard someone call out, "Sakura-chan? Is that you?"

They both turned around to the source of the voice. Sakura took in a deep breath and her whole body froze. Her big green eyes grew bigger in disbelief. "H-Haruto?" she breathed.

* * *

><p><strong>Someday<strong>

by

**IU**

from

**Dream High**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 9**

**Dandy352** LOL Yes, I was planning on doing that in the first place but the chapter itself turned a different course and it felt like he was opening up; really, Guilty Beauty Love basically describes what I imagined Syaoran to be like in this story, but he does have a good side too, he's not all arrogant and charming. :) My goodness, yes, sometimes it's just ridiculous. Like, I've met voice actors whom I love to death at cons, and yes, I do fan girl over them, but I remind myself that they are people so I tone it down around them and treat them like I would anyone else I love; I found you get to spend the most time with them if you do that. I mean, it's okay to love an idol, or whatever, but that doesn't make it okay to be a mindless zombie and do everything you think they want you to do, speak your own mind! I get what you're saying, and yes, God made you the way you are, but it's the choices you make that define you. And you're right, you shouldn't care what other people say as long as you know who you are; that's what I want people to get, if anything else, from this story. I take in what I see or experience in real life and apply it to my writing because I do want to make it realistic and not cookie cutter. The truth of the fact is that there are mean people out there who just like to hurt others, but you have to rise above and be the better person and not let it get to you; I've experienced this plenty enough for myself and I want others to know that they shouldn't be afraid to be themselves or show others their true selves. Thank you so, so much, I enjoy long reviews! ^-^

**reader** I know, right?! I'll try not to make any more references from there. I think that's enough to last until the end. LOL Sorry for the wait!

**Guest** She's slowly falling for him, but you already know by now that he likes her. As for the last part, there could be many reasons. ^-^ Thank you for reviewing!

**Guest (2)** Thank you! There's more to her than meets the eye, though. ;) And like I said, there can be some stupid people out there. T.T

**Guest (3)** Thank you so much, that means a lot to me; especially considering how there are so many other authors whom are way better than I am. Thank you, I'll try to update more! :D

**Anony** Hello! Yes, that's true, but I still wanted to keep his playfulness with her, which explains that last scene. Small steps for sure! I have many things in store, many things indeed . . . *evil laugh* Thank you! Still trying to update more frequently! LOL

***Please Read***

Dun, dun, duuunnnnnnnnn! Who is Haruto?! A new bully? Or someone else? Hmm . . .

Also, I have a poll—also on my profile—where you all can vote for what musical they will be doing in the spring! I meant to have it up a few chapters back but kept forgetting. Anyway, please vote, or I'll just pick the one I want anyway. I do want your input though, so I know how the rest of the story will go. I've narrowed it down to a few. You can choose between **All Shook Up, Legally Blonde, High School Musical**, or **Hairspray**. But really, what I'm looking for either **All Shook Up** or **Legally Blonde** because I am stuck in between those. Those two are the ones I really want.

I'm warning you all now; there might not be an update for a while. I've been a bad beta and haven't gone through everything I needed to. I'm working on my time management skills so until I get all my Beta Reader stuff done, I won't update either story. Sorry, but I really need to do this first. Thank you to all the authors I beta for who are and continue to be so patient with me even though I don't deserve it. ^^;

So, I don't have a solid excuse for my late update. I just lost inspiration for a while I was watching _Dream High 2_ and now re-watching _Dream High_ with my big sister—I'm introducing it to her and so far she loves it. YAY! I'm sure none of you care for the lyrics, but I will have the lyrics posted on my DeviantArt eventually, as well as the English translation—it's a Korean song if you all don't know it. I'm sure there are MANY mistakes on this chapter but I will go back and fix it later, I promise. For now, enjoy the crappy version! And don't forget to review! Can we get 300 reviews in 10 chapters?

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated September 15, 2012**


	11. Can't I Love You?

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 11: Can't I Love You?**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** So . . . I somewhat finished most of my beta projects. I still have a ways to go but I couldn't leave you all hanging for so long. And, um, today is my birthday so here is my birthday present to you. Any other Libras out there? :D Tee hee, anyway here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Sakura stared in disbelief at the skinny boy before her. He had long straight brown which fell just below his shoulders and cut in layers, the wind blowing away his bangs from his eyes; his dark brown eyes never leaving Sakura's green ones. Before Syaoran could even ask who the hell the boy was Sakura dropped her backpack and ran to the boy.<p>

"Haru-chan!" Sakura exclaimed happily. The boy smiled and picked her up with ease and spun her around. Sakura laughed and threw her head back with joyous laughter, bringing her hands above her head. After being set back down on the ground, Sakura immediately wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. "I can't believe you're here," she sighed into his chest; he was at least a head or two taller than her.

Having realized something, Sakura let go and slapped his arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could've picked you up at the airport! And what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in America? Oh my gosh, you're still so cute!"

Haruto merely laughed. "My father thought it'd be best if I finish my studies here in Japan—I think it was because he was just tired of me bugging him about it."

"Is he here? I'd love to see him again. Your mother too," said Sakura with a bright smile on her face.

Haruto scratched the back of his head. "Well, they're still back in America, taking care of the dance company and all. They found me an apartment close to the school and I'll be living on my own until the end of the school year."

"Oh wow, that's amazing. You're going to be attending Tomoeda High too?"

Haruto nodded. "I'll be able to see your pretty little face every day from now on." He gently tapped Sakura's nose and she in turn slapped his finger away playfully.

Not able to take it anymore, Syaoran came marching in between them with Sakura's abandoned backpack in hand. "Sakura-chan," Syaoran said through clenched teeth behind a forced smile, "who is he?" Syaoran eyed the boy; glad to be was taller by an inch or two. Haruto seemed all too eager to return the glare as soon as he saw Syaoran's hand snake around Sakura's waist.

Sakura's face turned pink, embarrassed to have forgotten Syaoran in the midst of everything; completely oblivious to the two boys. "This is Tenshi Haruto; he's an old friend from grade school. Haru-chan, this is Li Syaoran; he's—"

"I'm her boyfriend," Syaoran said sharply, grinning at the end; very much satisfied at Haruto's bewildered expression.

Sakura glared at him. "Don't listen to him, Haru-chan. He's not really my boyfriend."

"I really am, actually," Syaoran intervened.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Says who?"

"Says me, starting now."

Sakura shot him a look and nudged his side with her elbow. "Ignore him, we're only friends."

Syaoran feigned a hurt expression. "Don't deny our love, Sakura-chan."

"What love? You asked me out, I said no, and you said you were okay with just being friends for now."

"Yeah well, I changed my mind," he said.

"You can't change your mind about something like this without the other person's consent." Sakura huffed. "It's not a decision you can make on your own."

"Too late, I already did."

"Why you—"

Haruto's laughter stopped the two's bickering. "Well, whatever you too are, I hope you are treating her well," he said, directly at Syaoran and bowing slightly. "But I suggest you establish your relationship soon, or else someone else might snatch her up."

Syaoran tightened his hold on Sakura's waist, protectively bringing her body closer to his. "Not likely."

The two boys stared at each other for a minute longer before Haruto broke away, a kind smile back on his face as he turned his attention back to Sakura. "I should get going now. I still have some unpacking to do. I just dropped by to see if all the paperwork had been finalized for my first day tomorrow."

Sakura looked down, solemn. "Oh."

"Or," Haruto started, he inwardly smiled catching a dazzling gleam in her green eyes, "we could stop by our favorite café and catch up some more."

Immediately Sakura beamed as bright as a light found in a dark abyss. "I would love to!" Sakura caught his hand in hers. Syaoran had never seen a smile so bright and full of joy. It was almost blinding but truly it was beautiful; and the fact that he wasn't the one responsible for bringing such a smile out nerved him. He wanted to be the one she smiled like that at, he wanted to be the one to bring it out and protect it no matter what.

"I'm going too," Syaoran announced. Meeting Sakura's eyes, he was sure she would decline; wanting to spend time alone with her old friend. Instead, she smiled and nodded.

"Let's all go, then." Sakura took Syaoran's hand with her free one and all three of them made their way outside of the school gates, the two boys in between her.

**x~X~x**

Syaoran remained quiet as the two friends caught up at a nearby café for the most part. He found out that Haruto's parents were professional dancers and they all left his last year of junior high to America to start their own dance company where they taught other young dancers a variety of dance styles—mainly focusing on hip hop and other contemporary dances as well as ballet, jazz, tap and everything in between.

Observing the two, Syaoran couldn't help how his heart panged seeing Sakura so comfortable with the boy. It took him two weeks and most of his energy to get close to her and still he could see her guard up around him. Seeing her laugh and smile, her eyes dazzling and full of life as Haruto told her some stories of his time in the States, it made him want to throw up. He could feel a jealous twinge sparking through his veins, every time Haruto's hand came in contact with any part of Sakura's skin.

"So, how did this relationship slash not-in-a-relationship thing start?" Haruto asked, mostly directed at Syaoran. He was the one who tried keeping Syaoran in the conversation so as not to have him feel left out. Syaoran knew he should have felt grateful, but it made him resent the pretty boy even more—did he really have to be so god damn nice to him?

Syaoran froze. The bet was the first thing to pop into his mind and he immediately felt guilty.

"He just asked me out one day at school," Sakura answered.

Haruto leaned in elbows on the table and placed his head on top of his palms. Syaoran could see him smiling warmly at Sakura once more. "Just like that?"

"Yep. And then I turned him down." Haruto chuckled at that. "But he was very persistent."

"So in the end you said yes."

"Only for that first date." Sakura grinned. "And that's only because Tomoyo-chan practically begged me to."

"Oh yeah, she always complained about how much you need a boyfriend so you could go on double dates with her."

"Except now she's in London so it's not possible."

"I remember her mom always saying something about expanding her company there. So they finally went, huh?"

Sakura nodded. "They went just before we started high school."

"That must've been so hard for you." His eyes became sad as one of his hands rested on Sakura's.

"Well, it hasn't been all that bad ever since Syaoran-kun and I became closer. It was for the first week, but it's died down now."

Haruto kept on staring at her, worry filled his eyes. "I'm glad you have him, then," he finally said. His eyes shifted towards Syaoran and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for taking care of her."

_I wasn't doing it for you_, Syaoran wanted to say but thought better of it. Instead he mumbled a soft, "Yeah."

"Oh no, is it that time already? I have to get to work. I'm so sorry, Haruto, but I have to go."

"It's all right." Haruto stood up and patiently waited until Sakura was ready with bag in hand.

Syaoran stood up too. "I'll walk you there," he said, shrugging his coat on. He gave Sakura a look that said there would be no objections. Sakura nodded and smiled.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?" Haruto said and extended his arms out.

Sakura happily went into his open arms for a hug. "Okay. I can't wait."

Gently he kissed her forehead before letting her go. "Me either." He bowed to Syaoran and held his hand out. "It was nice meeting you."

Syaoran didn't say anything but took the outstretched hand and shook it. Sakura shot Syaoran a sideways look. His demeanor was one she was familiar with. Fujitaka was a kind father that very rarely got mad, but sometimes, when he was really angry about something or was in one of his upset moods, he would get what Sakura called "scary-calm." It was a calm that made Sakura think of the deceptive hard sheen of ice just before it cracked under your weight—her brother Touya was someone who seemed to almost always be in this kind of mood. Syaoran was scary-calm. His face was expressionless, but something burned at the back of his amber eyes.

"I'll see you both later." With that, Haruto left the two, Sakura was still waving goodbye until the door fully closed.

"Let's go," Syaoran told her. He wasn't meeting her eyes. "You don't want to be late."

Sakura nodded. They were both silent for a while, the bakery wasn't too far away, but there was an uncomfortable air around them.

"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura spoke up nervously. "Do you not like Haruto?"

Haruto. She didn't even use any honorifics, Syaoran noticed. He wondered just how close they really were. "He seems nice enough," Syaoran finally said.

"He is," Sakura beamed and Syaoran's fingers clenched into fists. "He's always been there for me whenever I needed someone to. He's a big reason why I am here today." Syaoran looked at Sakura his eyes fill with confusion. "Anyway, thank you for walking me to work."

Syaoran hadn't even realized that they made it to their destination. There was no doubt in his mind that Haruto had a special place in Sakura's heart—it was undeniably noticeable the way she acted around Haruto compared to anyone else; even him. It made him realize that he didn't know Sakura as well as he thought he did. The Sakura he knew seemed to be completely different than the Sakura that was just there at the café with Haruto. He still had a long ways to go but he swore right then and there that he would become someone she was comfortable with sharing her true self with.

He smiled down at the innocent eyed girl before him and bent down to kiss her cheek. "I'll pick you up after work."

He smirked to himself seeing the shiver run down her spine and the blush appear on her face. He secretly hoped she was falling for him, he hoped he would be the person she loved most, because to him, she already had his heart. She just had to reach out and willingly take it.

**x~X~x**

Tenshi Haruto had already given a name for himself as soon as he walked through the school gates. News quickly spread of the new princely-like transfer student. He had a delicate face that could rival of any of the top bishonen models in Japan. He had a tall and skinny stature and small but toned muscles could be depicted from years of dancing—this tidbit wasn't noticeable through the dark red winter school jacket. The girls of Tomoeda High had quickly taken a liking to him, something Syaoran wasn't all too happy to find out. First Sakura now his fans?

"Li-kun!" Haruto had called out to him; Syaoran was in the courtyard of the school chilling with Jun, Ryouga, and Kou before class. Sakura told him there was something she needed to take care of and that she'd see him in class.

"Do you know him, Syaoran?" Jun asked quietly, before Haruto could get close enough to hear them all.

Syaoran groaned. "I guess you can say that. It's the new transfer student everyone is talking about, Tenshi Haruto."

Kou's ears perked at that. "Tenshi Haruto?"

"He's back?" Ryouga turned to look at Kou.

Syaoran saw the exchange the three friends made but didn't have time to think too much on it when he saw Haruto motioning him to join him. He stood up without another thought and followed Haruto around the corner to a more secluded part of the courtyard.

"Hey, have you seen Sakura?" Haruto asked brightly, his hands were shoved into his coat pockets.

Syaoran shook his head. "She said she had something to take care of this morning."

"I see." Haruto glanced at Syaoran through his long eyelashes and grinned. "You know, I was surprised when I found out that you, the son of Li Yelan, was after Sakura of all people."

Syaoran raised a brow, his arms crossed over his chest. "You know about me?"

"Why don't you give me a tour around the school? I'm still new here after all." He took in Syaoran's skeptical expression and his smile widened. "But if you don't want to I can keep looking for Sakura and ask her ins—"

"I'll do it," Syaoran said all too quickly and turned to motion to his friends that he'd be going on ahead. Haruto smiled and allowed Syaoran to lead the way on their tour.

"How do you know about me?" Syaoran asked again.

Haruto chuckled. "It's hard _not_ to know who the all-powerful Li family is, even in the States." Now Syaoran felt stupid for even asking the question. He sometimes forgot how influential his family was in the business world. "Especially since there's been news that Yelan-san's next country to expand the Li Company is America. Your mother is a very powerful woman."

"You're telling me."

"Has she met Sakura yet?"

Again with the lack of honorifics. Everything about him was beginning to piss Syaoran off. "Not yet."

"Why not? If you're serious about her, shouldn't you at least introduce her to your mother?"

Syaoran's teeth clenched. It seemed as if his playboy attitude was no mystery either. Yelan had always been interested in who Syaoran was dating, always thinking ahead of his future as usual. She wanted to make sure he had someone to take care of him when he was older and running the company on his own when the time came. But his reputation had left Yelan to stop trying to interfere in his love life after the sixth girl he had hooked up with.

"She's a busy woman," he replied with a shrug.

"Mm, that's true, I suppose." They were silent once more. "I know you have feelings for Sakura, but I'm sure you don't want your friends to know, am I right?"

Syaoran shot him a sideways look but choose not to say anything.

"I've known Sakura for practically all my life. The fact that she would open up to someone of your reputation must mean she must like you too."

"She doesn't trust me," Syaoran muttered.

"Which is completely natural for her; I'm sure you'd agree if you knew what she's been through."

"You mean her bullying issue? Do you know why they pick on her?"

"So it's still going on, is it?" Haruto sighed. "I hoped they would've left her alone after seeing how she turned out. I almost didn't recognize her yesterday."

Syaoran blinked.

"I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready; it's not my place to tell you about her past. Make sure to protect her and be there for her. She may seem like a really strong girl but she's incredibly fragile." Syaoran nodded, he knew what Haruto was talking about. "Of course, this doesn't mean I will give up on her either. I have liked Sakura for as long as I have known her. She's adorable, ne?"

_I knew it_, Syaoran thought bitterly.

"There are things you don't know about her that I do, things that she could trust sharing with and not you. You have to step up your game, Li, because there's no way that I will accept losing her to you. She's too special to me to let that happen."

"Well I'm not stepping down either. I may not have known her as long as you have but already she has influenced me. Because of her, I got to see how many fake people are in this school."

"If you really feel that way," Haruto said bitterly, "I would dump those three you call friends if I were you."

**x~X~x**

"Kinomoto, you have a visitor," a random classmate of hers called out rather bitterly. Sakura looked up to see Haruto happily waving at her. Sakura smiled and made her way to the door.

"It looks like we're neighbors," Haruto exclaimed happily, pulling her into a hug and spinning her around like he did yesterday. "I wish we were in the same class though."

Sakura laughed. "This is better than nothing. At least we can see each other in between classes."

"And Drama."

"That's right! I'm so glad you joined. We're still working on the one-act and you won't believe how fast I have to learn the part before Districts."

"Oh yeah, I remember you said you weere filling in for someone. I can't believe they would quit when it's just around the corner."

Sakura scuffed. "Tell me about it."

"Kinomoto-san, can you come with us for a second." A girl from her class said, approaching them. Two other girls were right behind her—one had been the girl that called her over to tell her Haruto had come to visit her. They were clearly unhappy about Sakura being so friendly with the new Prince of the school.

Haruto put a protective hand on Sakura's shoulder and smiled brightly at them. "I'm sure whatever you have to say you can say in front of me as well."

"We only need to borrow her for a few minutes, Tenshi-sama," the one on the right spoke with her fake sweet voice.

"I'm sure that's all you'd need to have your way with her," he replied, the smile never faltering on his angelic face. "I, on the other hand, will not simply stand by and let you bully my dear friend Sakura. I suggest you find something more productive and less hurtful to do with your time instead. How about knitting?"

They all, Sakura included, had their jaws on the floor. Huffing angrily, the three girls left. "I can't believe you just said that," Sakura breathed. She wasn't sure if it would be okay to laugh or not.

"And I can't believe you're still too nice to do anything about it," Haruto muttered, pulling her into another hug. "Don't worry, now that I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you."

Sakura smiled into his chest and hugged his frail body back. "Thank you so much, Haru-chan. I'm so glad you're back."

Syaoran saw the whole encounter from his seat, his hands in fists and a scowl on his face. He could've protected Sakura if he had been given the chance.

"Looks like you have a rival, Syaoran."

Syaoran groaned. "I don't need this right now, Kou."

"Of course you don't. It's obvious that she's more comfortable with him than with you."

Syaoran groaned again and put his head on the desk. "Go back to your own classroom."

"You know, I'm sure you can still win this as long as you remain close to Sakura-chan. Try winning her heart with things she likes to do instead. I think it's about time for that second date."

Syaoran heard the fading footsteps. _Second date_. Syaoran's eyes went back to Sakura and Haruto, she was smiling brightly and laughing at something he had said—he couldn't stop that warm feeling growing in his heart. A thought formed his head and he grinned. "Maybe it _is_ time for that second date, Sakura."

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><p><strong>Can't I Love You?<strong>

by

**ChangMin and Jin Woon**

from

**Dream High OST**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 10**

**jd** Thank you. I wonder who indeed. I'll give you a hint, it's not Haruto.

**littlepuppylost** He sort of became that didn't he? LOL Thank you for reviewing!

**KiyomiShizuru **Thank you for reading and reviewing. I would like to see that happen too but you never know. :D

**ShugoCharaChic **Thank you! I will try to update more. Sorry for the wait!

**reader **Sorry for the wait!

**Anony** Thank you so much. I always love reading your input. And yes, Haruto is a good guy. :D

**Mek** Awesome!

**kpopisawesom** The twitter thing worked! Thank you so much!

**Guest** Sorry for not putting in a lot of cutesy moments here, but there will be more, I assure you!

**Littlepuppylost** So sorry for the wait! .

I feel like this chapter is a little lacking. It was mainly a chapter to introduce Haruto. I hope you like him because I sure do. :) Sorry for the wait. I will revise the chapter later so sorry for any mistakes. I will possibly add something or not, depending on if I find that special something missing when I go through it again. The song chosen is mainly to describe both Haruto's and Syaoran's growing feelings for Sakura. It's cute, ne? Yes, today is my birthday (I'm 19! My last year as a teen . . .) so I would appreciate some birthday reviews. *hint hint wink wink* Again, so sorry for the wait.

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated October 22, 2012**


	12. Fly, Fly Away

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 12: Fly, Fly Away**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** So sorry for the super late update! More apologies at the end. For now, enjoy the chapter. :D

* * *

><p>Sakura's hand stopped mid-air with a book in her hand and blinked. "This Saturday?" She saw Syaoran nod through her peripheral as she continued to shelve books in the library. "Mm, I'll have to check my schedule."<p>

"Oh, come _on_," he mock-whined and Sakura giggled. "What could you possibly have going on on a Saturday?"

"Um, rehearsal?"

"You've had rehearsal every day this week so far, isn't it enough?"

"Well sorry, this is my first time acting on a huge stage and I want to make my troop and Yukari-sensei proud. My performance isn't perfect yet but I'm sure I can get there by the time Districts starts. I'll take all the rehearsal time I can get."

"What about our second date?"

"What about it?"

"Ouch." Syaoran feigned hurt as he placed a hand over his heart. "You're really trying to kill me aren't you?"

Sakura laughed and pushed the cart further down. "Not on purpose."

"Ha, ha. But really, I think we should have it soon before it fades into oblivion."

"Okay, okay. _If_ I don't have rehearsal this weekend, we can go on that second date you care _so_ much about."

Sakura felt Syaoran's hands wrap around her in a back hug. "Thank you!"

"Sakura! I found you!"

Sakura heard Syaoran groan in her ear but he never let go of the embrace, instead he turned Sakura and himself around as Haruto's figure approached.

"No yelling in the library, Haru-chan," Sakura scolded.

Haruto realizing what he had done put a hand over his mouth. "Oh, sorry. Sorry everyone," he whispered and bowed repeatedly. Sakura giggled.

"You're too cute," Sakura squeaked, pinching one of his cheeks. Haruto pursed his lips but didn't shove her hand away, much to Sakura's pleasure. She could feel Syaoran's hold in her tighten and finally let go.

"You know I don't like being called cute." Haruto pouted, rubbing his cheek. "I'm a man now."

"But you're so cute; just embrace it already."

Haruto sighed but smiled. "_Anyway_, Yukari-san, was looking for you; something about a new partner?"

"Oh, right. I still need a duet partner."

"For Districts?"

"Mm, the other guy had to drop out because he was in _'too many events_.'" Sakura emphasized 'too many events' by making air quotes with her fingers. "Psh."

"Hey, use that!"

Sakura blinked. "Use what?"

"That! Your sassy side and Halia is full of sass! You need to channel your inner sassy Sakura in order to play this role believably."

There was such a serious look on his face that Sakura couldn't help but smile. "You're too cute, Haru-chan," Sakura said, pinching his cheeks again.

Sakura heard Syaoran clear his throat behind her causing her to jump a little. "Who's Halia?"

"Halia the character I'm playing; she's supposed to be a sassy maid, but I can never get sassy enough for the directors," Sakura replied and pouted.

"Because you're too nice. This is your chance to break out and say things you've never said."

"Hmm, that's a good way to put it."

"And if you need a duet partner, I wouldn't mind doing it with you. I just transferred so I don't think I can be on the Districts team like I wanted but . . ."

Sakura smiled softly. "Of course you can be my duet partner, Haru-chan."

"Actually, you can't—_I'm_ her duet partner," Syaoran spoke up. Sakura turned her head to face him and gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, you are?" Haruto asked solemnly, completely missing Sakura's look.

"Yes, she asked me to be her partner a while ago."

"But you never—"

Syaoran placed lifted his index finger so it was over Sakura's lips. "Ah-ah, shhhh. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't support you?" Sakura gave him a look.

"Oh . . . I really wanted to compete alongside you, too, Sakura."

Sakura shook her head to get rid of Syaoran's finger over her mouth and wiggled herself free from his hug. "In that case, let's all go."

Syaoran's brow rose. "Go where?"

"To talk to Yukari-sensei; I'm sure we can work something out where we can all perform."

Syaoran and Haruto looked at each other before following Sakura out of the library.

**x~X~x**

"So . . . _Li Syaoran_ is going to be your duet partner?" There was much uncertainty in the teacher's voice.

Sakura nodded. "Yes. And I know everyone had to audition, but are there any empty slots or something so Haruto can compete too?"

"I don't know . . . It wouldn't be fair to the other students who auditioned already."

"He can audition right now! Or maybe be an alternate for the Large Group or Small Group? He's a great dancer, and he only needs to see the choreography once to be able to do it. Please, is there anyway Haruto can compete? He really wants to. He'll work really, really hard."

The teacher looked behind Sakura to see the two boys standing awkwardly behind her. Sighing, the teacher said, "All right, I know he can dance but can he sing?" The three students blinked. "Can he sing?" Wakari repeated. "We have enough room for only one more solo; the other events are filled besides Pantomime; unless he wants to do a tech event."

Haruto instantly lit up and bowed respectfully. "Yes! I'll do anything. Thank you so much."

"It's a little too late for a tech event, you won't have enough time. But if you want I can sign you up for either Solo Musical or Pantomime, which do you prefer?"

"I'll do both, if that's okay."

Sakura saw the concerned look on her teacher's face and instantly knew what she meant. She took Haruto's hand in hers and spoke softly to her friend. "Haru-chan, are you sure about this? It's hard enough taking one event let alone two. And you don't have a lot of time to prepare for both. Everyone in the troop has been preparing since the end of last year."

"Trust me, please; I really want to do it." His eyes went from Sakura to their sensei and again. "Please?"

"I don't have to submit the list of events until Saturday at the latest. If you can tell me the title of your Pantomime and what song you'll be doing by then, I can send it in with everyone's events as well. But you'll have to show up to every rehearsal and you have to work on your events on your own time, understand?"

Haruto's smile grew wider. "Yes, of course! Thank you so much!"

"Now, both of you," Wakari-sensei said, addressing Syaoran and Haruto as she took out some papers from a folder on her desk and handed them out to each boy, "I need these permission slips signed and handed in no later than tomorrow, understand? Also, here is the list of rules for Districts. Sakura will let you know when our next meeting will be. Be present as it will be the last Districts meeting before we go to compete. I'll need your sizes to order your troop shirt before you leave, and the ¥5,700 fee for Districts no later than Saturday. If you have any other questions or concerns, ask Sakura. I'm leaving them in your hands."

Sakura saluted and thanked her teacher once again. The two boys gave their sizes before exiting out of the office.

"Oh, Sakura, don't forget about our rehearsal this weekend!" Wakari-sensei called out. Sakura nodded and waved goodbye.

"Looks like we'll have to get a rain check on that second date," Sakura said a little too happy.

"Why?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura looked up and smiled at him. "_You_ have rehearsal."

**x~X~x**

"Halia, the detectives are here to help us figure out who . . . killed . . . Poopsie!" wailed Hagitha, an ancient looking, slightly chubby, lady as she dramatically pointed to the portrait of a sandy colored Chihuahua sitting on an expensive looking purple pillow with one hand and the other over her eyes.

"Yes, Poopsie: heir to the Featherbottom fortune," the Detective, Pureluck, announced.

"Poor Poopsie," said Chad, the grandson of Hagitha, and American skater-boy-looking teen.

Halia stepped in the space between the detective and Hagitha whom was lounging on the chez lounge still in the same position as before. "They sent detectives to investigate a _Chihuahua_?"

"A very _rich_ Chihuahua," Dodson, Detective Pureluck's sidekick, corrected.

"A very rich and DEAD Chihuahua," Pureluck corrected. "A Chihuahua who did not die of natural causes. No, no . . . Poopsie was . . . murdered!"

Dodson ran to the boom box placed on the top shelf of the bookshelf behind the chez lounge and pressed play to blare the ever ominous "_Dun Dun Dun_" music.

"I _know_ Poopsie didn't die of natural causes," Halia spoke up. "Who do think had to clean up the mess?"

"Precisely why I need to question you," Pureluck announced placing a hand on Halia.

"Yeah, Halia, tell us about the _blood_," sneered Raven, the gothic granddaughter of Hagitha.

Jessica, mother of Raven and Chad, took another gulp of her drink next to her. She was sitting on the couch across the room in between her two kids. "Sarah, honey, don't be so _morbid_," she slurred out.

"It's Raven!" Raven hissed out. "And why don't you stop trying to stifle my individuality and take. Another. Pill?"

"I _resent that_, young lady," Jessica sneered but then perked up and sang, "Though another does sound good!" She reached for her purse on the ground to retrieve her small bottle of pills.

"Detectives, I know who killed Poopsie," announced LaDeucé, the butler, and everybody in the room gasped.

"LaDouche! You've known the killer all along and you haven't come forward?"

"It's LaDeucé! And I tried to come forward repeatedly, but you just read my name off the page and laughed."

"He's telling the truth. I have the transcript right here," said Dodson as he flipped through his notebook. "You called him LaDouche, asked if the crime happened on a Summer's Eve, laughed for five minutes, then you got a text message that someone in your online Clue game made a move, and you left."

"Ah, yes!" Pureluck reminisced. "That was a busy day; I was able to eliminate Ms. Scarlet from my list of suspects."

"Well, I tried to tell you then, and I'm trying again now . . . I know who killed Poopsie, and the killer is right here in this room!"

"Oh my God! There's a monster in the room with us?" Chad panicked.

"No, you _dolt_!" LaDeucé barked, "I'm trying to tell you all the one of YOU killed Poopsie. See, that day I was supposed to have the day off. . ." He glared at Hagitha. "But I left my bow-tie in the kitchen. I opened the door quietly and saw it all happen, so I can tell you with all certainty that the killer was . . ."

A thunderclap was heard and the lights went out in the room. Everyone screamed and three gun shots could be heard amongst the chaos. The lights flashed back on with everyone in weird positions—Raven holding Chad up, Dodson and Jessica hugging each other, Detective Pureluck looking up, and Hagitha cowering behind Halia—with LaDeucé laying in the center of the room wailing in agony and clutching his side. Everyone screamed again, getting away from one another, and stared at the body. Chad bravely crawled forward and cradled LaDeucé's head.

"So who's the killer, LaDouche?"

LaDeucé raises his head. "It's . . ." Everyone leans forward, all eager to know the killer's identity. " . . . Pronounced . . . La-Doo-Say . . ." He slaps Chad before falling dead on his stomach.

"Oh hell no!" Halia wails.

"Humph. Odd, usually in cases like this, the _butler_ did it," Pureluck muttered.

"Okay, good, stop right there," Akio's voice rang through. The actors on stage stopped what they were doing and looked out into the dark house. "Halia," he announced, referring to Sakura by her character's name, "I know this is your first time running the show completely off book, but you need some more levels. You're still saying 'Oh hell no' too deflated. You need to add levels to it. Your co-worker just died and front of you. That wouldn't be a 'hell no', that'd be a 'HELL no', you know?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, I want to see dimension in your characters people, let's go from lights out so, lights out!" he called to the booth and the lights dimmed out. Everyone screamed once again "Cue!"

Three gun shots were heard, and lights up. LaDeucé wailing on the floor once more. Chad crawled forward and cradled LaDeucé's head.

"So who's the killer, LaDouche?"

LaDeucé raises his head. "It's . . ." Everyone leaned forward, again. " . . . Pronounced . . . La-Doo-Say . . ." He slapped Chad before falling dead on his stomach.

"Oh, hell _no_!"

"Humph. Odd, usually in cases like this, the butler did it."

"Okay, stop," Akio calls out again. "That was _better_, but you still need one more tweak. You're almost there."

"Get in touch with your sassy side!" Sakura smirked—she knew that was Haruto calling out.

"What he said. Channel your inner sassiness, and let it out through Halia, okay?"

Sakura nodded and made an O with her thumb and index finger. "Okay."

"Also," Wakari called out from the darkness, "I feel like the moment where everyone is in the dark is too dull. Can someone say something to fill in that dead space after the gun shots?" The cast nodded. "Okay, we'll take it from the same place."

Lights fade out and everyone screamed. Three gun shots were heard. Among the darkness someone yelled out, "Oh damn, it's a driiive byyy~" and everyone screamed again—laughter could be heard from the house at the ad-lib—as the lights went up. Again, they all gasped at the sight of LaDeucé on the ground. Chad crawled forward and cradled LaDeucé's head.

"So who's the killer, LaDouche?"

LaDeucé raises his head. "It's . . ." Everyone leans forward. ". . . Pronounced . . . La-Doo-Say . . ." He slaps Chad before falling dead on his stomach once more.

"Oh, _HEEELL _no!" Halia wails, throwing her body back.

"Humph. Odd, usually in cases like this, the butler did it."

"Okay, stop. Good, Sakura, that was ten times better. Keep that, I liked it," Akio said smiling. "Now, one question: who said 'Oh damn, it's a drive by'?"

Slowly, Sakura raised her hand shyly. Everyone in the auditorium rolled their head back in laughter especially those on stage. Daisuke patted her arm and, blushing, Sakura slowly put her hand down. "I thought it was something Halia would say!" Sakura defended.

"And you're absolutely right. I want you to keep that too."

Sakura laughed and nodded.

"All right, let's keep going from where we left off. Halia, from your line . . . Go!"

"What do you think of the one-act so far?" Haruto whispered to Syaoran. For the life of him, Syaoran couldn't figure out why the boy sat next to him out of all the other empty seats in the house.

"It's actually really funny," Syaoran responded. "But why is the grandmother being played by a guy?"

Haruto laughed and Syaoran could tell that his attention diverted to the guy playing Hagitha—Daisuke. "Who knows, it could have been a creative choice or maybe he was the best one for the role." Haruto glanced at him once and said, "You don't look like you're having all that much fun."

Syaoran shrugged. "I was supposed to go on a date with her today, instead I'm here."

"Oh." Syaoran didn't have to look at the boy next to him to know there was a knowing smile in his face. "You might as well try making friends here. This is like a second home to Sakura." Syaoran finally looked at Haruto to find him looking up at the stage watching the actors do their thing; there was a twinkle in his eye. "The theater can be a great friend, ne?"

Syaoran didn't answer but instead asked, "What do you think of Sakura?"

Haruto's lips formed into a pout, never taking his eyes off the performance. "I think she needs to get more comfortable on stage. She still looks stiff up there."

"Not that," Syaoran sighed. "I mean her as a person."

"Oh." Haruto smiled. "I think she's incredible."

"What do you like about her?"

"Everything." The answer was immediate, no hesitation whatsoever.

"How do I—" Syaoran paused and sighed. "How do I get her to like me?"

Haruto was quiet. Syaoran glanced at the boy next to him and saw a smile slowly form. "Really? The renowned playboy Li Syaoran needs advice on how to get a girl to like him?"

"Oh, shut-up." He crossed her arms and turned away scowling. "She's not the easiest person to get close to."

"Ah, so that's how it is." Syaoran frowned at the boy but Haruto kept his attention up front, smiling. "Well, you would be too if you were in her place."

"And by that you mean . . ."

Haruto shook his head. "I already told you, it's not my place to tell you about her past."

"If she does tell me, will that mean she trusts me?"

"Well, sure. It can be a sensitive topic, for anyone."

Syaoran nodded and thought back to when he and Sakura were in the music room alone. They had both shared a bit of their pasts. Surely it must mean she trusts him a little.

"Do you really like her?" Haruto spoke up.

Syaoran glanced at Sakura on stage. "I think so."

"Then just be yourself, as cliché as it sounds," Haruto said, finally looking at him. "It's good you two are starting out as friends first before anything. I'm sure she will like you more for you rather than if you try to be someone you're not. She hates deceitful people more than anything."

"And you're helping me because . . . ?"

"Hey, Sakura seems to see something in you. The least we can do is try to get along. Don't you think?"

His smile was bright. It almost made Syaoran uncomfortable seeing how brightly Haruto shined without even trying. Here they were talking about the same girl, but seeing the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face, anyone could see how deeply he cared for Sakura. Syaoran wondered if Sakura even knew how her friend felt. "Let's be good friends from now on, okay?"

Syaoran blinked. "Uh, yeah. Okay."

They both went back to silently watching the rehearsal.

**x~X~x**

"Come on, Haru-chan, just one more time. Please?" Sakura tugged his sleeve and stared at her friend with puppy dog eyes.

"No way. I already auditioned for Yukari-san, and she approved."

"Yeah, but _I_ didn't get to see it. I had to get out of costume."

"And whose fault is that?"

Sakura pouted. "Come on, do an encore performance for our hard-working cast. They didn't get to see it either."

"Hey, Haruto-kun, good job on your events earlier," Rei Tachibanasaid waving to them as she passed by; she was also one of the officers in the program. Haruto smiled and bowed respectfully in thanks to the short messy gray haired and brown eyed girl. _(A/N: CCS anime fans would recognize her as the girl who took care of the injured Dash Card)_ When he turned back to Sakura, her pout was more prominent.

"What?"

Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head away from him. "It's nothing."

"Oh come on, the events are a maximum of five minutes each; how could you take ten minutes to change?"

"It wasn't _just_ changing," Sakura retorted, "I had to help put the set away, too."

"Fine, next time I'll be sure to wait for you, okay?"

"Mm, okay. But as punishment, you can't watch my events either!"

"Wha—" Catching the playful twinkle in her eye, he smiled. "You know I'm going to anyway."

"Yeah, I know." Sakura paused to look around her. She was sure someone had been watching them but everyone was going about themselves enjoying their break.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Both friends looked behind them to see Syaoran's approaching figure. "Yukari- sensei has been looking for you. Something about a large group?"

"Ah, okay. I'll see you both later."

Waving goodbye, Sakura disappeared through the doors leading to the auditorium. Syaoran turned to Haruto. "What were you two talking about?"

The boy smiled a knowing smile. "Nothing special. Let's go see the rest of the performances, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, he went through the doors. Syaoran stood there a minute longer before following him in. Looking around he immediately spotted Sakura laughing with a fellow classmate, Daisuke, as they stretched on stage. He saw Haruto beckon to join him in the front row of the house.

Sighing, Syaoran obliged and plopped down next to him. "So, what is this large group thing?"

"It's basically a large group number from any musical. Pretty much every school submits one to compete—it's also considered a high honor if your school wins best in show for it."

"What's our school doing, then?"

"I think Sakura said it was 'Step in Time' from Mary Poppins."

"All right, everyone, we're doing it like we're at districts, so don't suck!" Yukari's voice boomed through the god mike. Everyone on stage scrambled to get their "brooms" and into a single file line across the stage. Getting the nod of approval, one by one everyone introduced themselves and went into position for the beginning of the song and began. _(A/N: I'm using reference from when my school did this as a Large Group. A link to the performance can be found in my profile for those interested. I don't think I can accurately describe the whole choreography so feel free to use the link.)_

"Okay, good job," Wakari-sensei called out once they ran through the whole thing. "What did you think of it?"

"I think," panted Sakura, "we lacked a little energy."

There were murmurs of agreement and Syaoran could only frown. It looked perfectly fine to him. Amazing even; he couldn't find a single flaw in their performance.

"I have a question." All eyes went to Haruto. "When holding the brooms, are they always supposed to rest on their shoulders, or are they supposed to be held straight up."

Everyone on stage looked at each other. "We were never told a specific way to hold them," Daisuke answered for the group.

"It's just that it looks sloppy with everyone holding it a different way. I think if everyone holds it the same it would look much cleaner."

"I never noticed that, Haruto," Yukari-sensei hummed. "Let's all try going into the pinwheel holding the brooms straight up."

"Hai," the group chorused and got into position. The music started and they picked up their cue. Comparing it to before, even Syaoran could see the big difference such a little thing did. He glanced at Haruto and saw a small smile as if he were proud of himself.

"How did that feel, guys?" Yukari-sensei called out. There was a chorus of positive responses. "That was so much better. I'm impressed you spotted that, Haruto."

"When you have choreographers as parents, you learn some things."

Wakari laughed. "True, true. All right everyone, let's do it one more time. Like the real thing; here we go!"

Everyone onstage got into their line once more. Syaoran leaned closer to Haruto. "Hey, I know the teacher is comfortable with her students and everything, but didn't you _just_ move here?"

Haruto laughed lightly. "Yes, but I've always sort of known Yukari-san; she studied with my parents back in school so they're really good friends."

Syaoran nodded in understanding.

"They allowed me to finish my studies here only if I got into this school—now I know it's because they trust Yukari-san to look after me."

"So you didn't come because of Sakura-chan?"

"Oh I did, partially. Of course I missed her but I missed Japan too. I didn't know she would be in this school so I was really happy when I saw her walking in the school uniform." Haruto glanced over at Syaoran and smiled. It was a small friendly smile, but Syaoran quickly learned that Haruto had a gift for making people smile with him—whether they wanted to or not. Syaoran quickly turned his attention back on the performance: the small change Haruto suggested really did make a big difference.

Wakari clapped her hands after the performance. "All right guys, take five and we'll continue with the duets. If you no longer have any events, go home."

Everyone in the large group bowed and cleared off stage. Syaoran noticed a small interaction between Sakura and Daisuke and unconsciously clenched his hands into fists.

Haruto leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Don't worry, he has a girlfriend."

"Wha—?"

"Daisuke," said Haruto smiling. "He has a girlfriend."

"Oh."

"Hey, Syaoran-kun! Haru-chan!" Sakura ran towards them and gratefully accepted to bottled water Haruto offered and sat next to Syaoran. "Did you like it?"

"It was great," Syaoran replied.

"Oh, I'm glad. I love this musical so I want to do my best."

"I'm amazed you got in all three years."

Sakura playfully hit his arm. "Oh shut-up, Haru-chan, not everyone can be an amazing dancer like you."

"You studied with my parents too!"

"Only because you'd always drag me to your classes and I had to do _something_ to entertain myself."

"And you got free lessons thanks to me. You're welcome."

"Ugh, I can never win against that cute face of yours." Sakura reached across Syaoran to pinch Haruto's cheek and Haruto whined in protest and waved her hand away. Syaoran was beginning to feel like a third wheel.

"I told you, guys don't like to be called cute."

"Really? Syaoran-kun, you wouldn't mind if I called you cute, would you?"

Syaoran blinked and felt his face heat up. Sakura had never been so close to his face before on her own accord; her jade green eyes perfectly aligned with his amber ones. "Well, that is— I mean . . ."

Seeing as he was taking too long Sakura diverted her attention to another victim. "Daisuke-kun, it isn't weird to call a guy cute is it?"

Daisuke blinked. "You're saying I'm cute?" he shouted back.

Sakura lightly blushed."Y-yeah, sure whatever. You wouldn't find it weird if someone called you cute, right?"

"But I am cute, why would I take offense to that?"

Sakura snapped her fingers and pointed at Haruto. "Ha! See, Daisuke-kun can accept it naturally, why can't you?"

"Maybe because he doesn't hear it every day like I do. Even in the States it wasn't this bad."

Sakura pursed her lips but before she could say anything Yukari called time. "Sakura, we're starting with you! Do you have your sheet music?"

"Ah, yes, I gave it to Syaoran-kun so he could get familiar with it." She turned to him. "Did you bring it?"

"Ah, yeah. Wait—bring what?"

"The sheet music for our duet. Remember I gave it to you to look over."

"Oh, I, uh, I left it at home," Syaoran said sheepishly. "I didn't know I had to bring it, I'm sorry. Do we really need it?"

Sakura sighed. "Well yeah, this would be the first time for you to go through it with the person who will be playing the piano for us. That was my only copy too."

"I'm sorry."

Sakura shook her head. "It's okay; we'll just rehearse later on our own time. Today's run through would have been more for you anyway. Stay here, I'll explain it to Captain Yukari; I'm sure she'll understand."

Syaoran's eyes followed Sakura. He expected Haruto to say some kind of snide remark but he remained quiet and watched Sakura as well. Sakura came back smiling.

"You're off the hook. I guess that means you can go home now."

"Do you want me to go get your stuff?" Syaoran offered, already getting up from his seat.

"Oh, no. _You_ can go home but I have to stay for my other events."

"I'll wait for you then."

Sakura shook her head. "That would be too much trouble. You should go home."

Syaoran placed a hand on her shoulder. "Today was supposed to be our second date, so even if we have the tiniest bit of time after this to do something, I'll take it. I'll wait for you, right here, okay?"

Her green eyes stared up at him in shock and awe. "Okay," she finally said. "I have to go get ready for my solo now and then I have one more event."

"I can wait."

Sakura nodded. "I'll see you both later, then."

It took a second to process what she said. Syaoran sat back down grumbling. He could feel Haruto looking at him. "I thought your events were done. Don't you have to go home now?"

Haruto smiled. "I told Sakura I would wait for her." Syaoran scuffed. "Besides, I want to see her solo; something magical happens when she sings."

Syaoran scowled but didn't say anything.

"I'm guessing you've experienced it too?" Again, he remained quiet. "For me, it doesn't matter what song it is or what it's about; she can clearly depict the meaning of the song and puts so much emotion into each word, it feels as if you're hearing it for the first time."

Syaoran recalled when she sang _Only Hope_ for him in the music room. It was as if she wasn't even singing for him, but for someone else in another world. He could feel the emotions she felt while singing. It was magical.

A few acts passed and finally Sakura entered the stage for her performance. Receiving a nod from Wakari, she started. "Hello and good afternoon. My name is Kinomoto Sakura and I'll be performing a solo musical song entitled 'Fly, Fly Away' from the musical Catch Me If You Can. Music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. And I proudly represent district five troop 11 . . ." She took a moment to get into position on the chair. "39."

The music started and it was as if she had become a different person. Her green eyes were different from their usual hue—they were slightly darker. Syaoran could see a certain longing and hope that wasn't there before.

_"When I was a child, my eyes were clear, I saw the good side  
>That's the kind of second sight that doesn't last too long<br>But when I was lost, I heard a voice that brought me healing  
>That's the kind of special hope he brought me with his song"<em>

Sakura's eyes made contact with Syaoran's and he felt that same feeling he did the first time.

_"People only saw the doctor, lawyer, Indian chief  
>But he was just a lonely little boy to me<br>With his sweet and gentle touch he sure unlocked my soul  
>So in return I surely want to help to set him free<em>

_Yeah, now I wanna see him fly, fly  
>I'll be your alibi, my baby<br>Fly, fly, fly away  
>We didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye<br>No need to tell me why, my baby  
>Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day"<em>

Sakura got up from her chair and walked downstage to continue her performance facing full front.

_"Men who they call real were really fakes who left me nothing  
>But this man they call a fake gave me something real<br>I've known cruel, cruel men with Christian names that taught me manners  
>But this man without a name taught me how to feel<em>

_They only saw the magic tricks, the smoke and mirrors  
>Was I the only one to ever see the boy?<br>So now they want to clip his precious wings and bring him down  
>But in his heart and soul's the kind of good they can't destroy<em>

_Yeah, now I wanna see him fly, fly  
>I'll be your alibi, my baby<br>Fly, fly, fly away  
>We didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye<br>No need to tell me why, my baby  
>Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day<em>

_Baby, when you're in the clouds, please keep a lookout  
>Maybe, darling, find a hideaway for you and I, you and I~"<em>

Sakura spread her arms out as if she had wings. The room was completely entranced by her performance. As Haruto had said, you could feel her every emotion in every word.

_"Then I'll see him fly, fly  
>I'll be your alibi, my baby<br>Fly, fly, fly away  
>We didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye<br>No need to tell me why, my baby  
>Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day<em>

_Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day_

_Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day  
>And I'll be waiting for you there<br>You will fly back home to me one day"_

They room exploded into applause before she could finish her last note. Again Syaoran could see her slowly come back to reality as her last note faded until the old Sakura returned. She smiled sheepishly and bowed. "Thank you." Her eyes made contact with Syaoran's one last time before she disappeared backstage.

Haruto turned to Syaoran. "See what I mean?" Syaoran nodded. Haruto sighed as Sakura approached them with a piece of paper in hand. "She's better than I remember."

"Has she ever taken voice lessons?"

Haruto shook his head. "Not that I know of. Tomoyo-chan has though, she might have taught her." His smile became wider as soon as Sakura was close enough. "What'd you get?"

Sakura waved her index finger no. "First let me see your scores."

"You didn't even see my performance, why should the scores matter?"

"So I know how to judge you when I _do_ see them."

Haruto laughed and patted his lap. Sakura smiled and sat down immediately. He took out his two sheets and they exchanged papers. Scanning them briefly, the smiled at each other and simultaneously exclaimed: "Straight superiors!" and high-fived.

"I'm sure we can do just as good when it counts," Haruto said, wrapping his arms around Sakura's waist.

Sakura smiled and nodded, bringing fist in the air. "Yeah!" Syaoran cleared his throat and Sakura finally looked at him. "Lookie!" She passed her results to Syaoran and he looked over it and smiled. He liked this side of her more—unfortunately it only showed when she was around Haruto.

"You were great up there." Sakura smiled brightly. "Are we good to go home now?"

Sakura nodded. "Someone is out sick for the last event I'm in so, yeah. I'll just go check out with Yukari-san." She stood up and held her hand out to Haruto. "You coming?" Haruto nodded and took her hand.

Syaoran slumped down in his seat and stared off after them. Her song kept ringing in his head and he ran his hand through his unruly hair. "I might be getting in too deep," he sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Fly, Fly Away<strong>

by

**Kerry Butler**

from

**Catch Me If You Can the Musical**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 11**

**sorabee6** Oh my goodness. Thank you so much. I love it when old readers come back on this site to continue to read fanfictions. I'm so glad you like it so far. I most definitely won't stop writing. :D I haven't heard of that author or story before. If you can please tell me what it's about?

**Littlepuppylost** YAY! Thank you! You'll find out eventually. I'm planning on revealing Sakura's past soon. :D

**Guest **Thank you for the birthday wish! I wish I could've written more this chapter, but I wanted everyone to see my view of the theater world in this chapter. And Syaoran's duet with Sakura will be shown later. :P

**Cristal R** So sorry for the late update! And thank you for the birthday wish!

**reader** Me too!

**Anony** Ha ha, thanks. That part won't be for a while though. ;) With his charm up, no doubt Sakura will fall for him. Thank you for the birthday wish! I'm so sorry I've been updating slowly. I also know how frustrating that can be. .

Sorry for the wait . . . again. I've been busy with work and, well, work . . . and more work . . . New Year's resolution: not to take over a month to update! Think I can do it? I know there're probs a ton of mistakes so sorry for that too; I will revise the chapter later. I actually WANT to write more for this chapter but I really can't think of anything else to write so sorry for the crappy cliff-hanger thing too. :/ I'm sorry if this chapter was somewhat disappointing. I feel like my writing has become slightly worse. I'm sorry; I will do my best to improve! I know all I've done is apologize so far so, I'll tell you that the next song I'm thinking of showcasing for the next chapter is **Only One** by **BoA**! :D It might change but I'm not entirely sure. Probably not but you never know. Unless you guys are tired of my love for Asian music and want some English songs instead then just let me know and it can easily be altered. :)

There were some Syaoran and Haruto moments here for you all! I know a few people wanted that so, yeah. Think they can be good friends? As a way of saying sorry (again), you can make any suggestion you want in a review and I'll see if I can add it to the next chapter. If you are tired of my Asian music, you can suggest a song, but it's not a guarantee that it'll be featured. So, instead I'd go with making a suggestion of what you want to see happen in the next chapter. :D

I'm so sorry I haven't even had time to go through any Beta Reader stuff. So before anything else, I will get on those in whatever time I have.

Happy New Year, everyone! Be happy, healthy, and always be kind to one another! Super, duper, mega thank you for sticking by me for this long, despite my horrible updating skills.

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated January 1, 2013**


	13. Only One

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 13: Only One**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** So sorry for the super late update! More apologies at the end. For now, enjoy the chapter. :D

* * *

><p>"Mind if I come over?" Haruto asked Sakura as they were getting ready to go home from yet another drama rehearsal. "I haven't been able to see your dad yet since I moved here—I've been too busy unpacking."<p>

"Of course you can, Haruto. I don't have work tonight either so we can spend more time together." Sakura smiled and took his extended hand in hers. "But you know if I talk to him I'm sure he'll let you stay with us—it must be lonely staying by yourself at an apartment."

"Ah, no," Haruto said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the thought. "I don't want to impose on you. I'm really fine living on my own. My parents said they would send money every month for rent, food, and other essentials."

"It seems a waste for you to have you to have your own place when you can stay with us. And you can't even cook," Sakura deadpanned and Haruto laughed.

"It's a good thing I like instant ramen, then," he said cheerfully and Sakura gave him a look. "What? I can _at least _make that."

"Barely."

"You're still on that?"

Sakura smiled. "I still ate it though. It was cute how hard you were trying."

Haruto laughed, covering his mouth with his hand as he did so. "Now that I think about it, I shouldn't have tried to invent a new flavor with it."

The two were laughing and talking so much that Sakura barely heard Syaoran call out to her from the school gate. Sakura looked to Haruto, her eyes full of confusion. Haruto tilted his head in Syaoran's direction and smiled. Sakura smiled and, still hand in hand, lead them to the front gate where Syaoran was waiting. "Syaoran-kun, there wasn't a Districts rehearsal today; you didn't have to wait for me."

He gave the two a once over, a scowl prominent on his face. "I know," was his simple answer. He turned around started leading them out without another word. Sakura looked to Haruto who shrugged and followed him.

"What's with him?" Sakura whispered to Haruto.

He smiled and whispered back, "He's probably just jealous."

"Of what?"

Haruto simply smiled and shook his head. Sakura pouted but didn't say anything the rest of the walk home.

**x~X~x**

"Thank you for dinner, Fujitaka-san."

"It's no problem, Haruto-kun, you're welcome any time," Fujitaka responded happily.

Sakura gave him a look and wiggled her eyebrows. Haruto leaned and whispered, "I'm not going to ask to stay here. It'd be too much of a burden." Sakura gave him an _we'll-see-about-that_ look and opened her mouth to say something but Haruto covered it just in time. Fujitaka gave them a weird look while Haruto returned his best innocent smile. Sakura shook herself free.

"Fine, but you have to at least come over and eat. I want to make sure you're eating right."

"Yes, mother."

Sakura rolled her eyes and gathered the plates. "Thank you for dinner, Dad, I'll take care of the dishes."

"I'll help," Haruto offered. Fujitaka thanked the two kids and retired to the living room to watch the evening news. "How was your second date with your _boyfriend_?"

"Stop saying it like that. You know he's not my boyfriend," Sakura answered. She was washing while Haruto dried and put the dishes away—everything was as he remembered it. He gave Sakura a nudge telling her he wanted to hear about it. "We just walked around downtown and window shopped and ate some ice cream. I think he got frustrated because I refused to get anything most of the time."

"I can imagine." Haruto laughed. "You're not the best person to go shopping with. Tomoyo-chan has to practically threaten you into getting something nice for yourself and then some."

"I already have a lot of nice things, what more could I ask for?"

"So, you didn't buy anything at all?"

"Well . . ."

_"Ah, this looks like a nice place." Sakura pointed to a nearby department store. "Let's go in there."_

_"Considering it's the first shop you actually suggested going to, all right."_

_Sakura and Syaoran browsed around the racks of clothes—Syaoran kept seeing Sakura take something out and putting it back again. Every time he asked if she wanted it she would deny it. He never had so much trouble shopping with a girl before. Ever._

_"Hey, here's a fun idea, why don't we get couples shirts?"_

_Sakura stopped what she was doing and gave him a weird look. "Couples shirts?"_

_"You know, those matching shirts couples wear. Just for fun."_

_"Oh." Sakura blinked and smiled. "Okay."_

_He took her by the hand and led her to the rack full of couples shirts. Scrambling around the rack a bit, he took out a light blue diamond patterned shirt and held it up over Sakura's body. "How's this one?"_

_Sakura looked down and examined the shirt. "It looks cute."_

_"Try it on."_

_"Oh, no I—"_

_"Just try it on. I want to see how it looks on you."_

_Sakura sighed and hesitantly took the shirt, retiring with it to the changing rooms. Sakura shyly stepped out of the changing room with the shirt on and did a small twirl. Upon looking at her, Syaoran smiled sweetly and complimented her. "Here, try this one too." He handed her a new shirt and Sakura rolled her eyes, taking the new one._

_They spent most of the day there, trying on different shirts and matching them with different hats, silly glasses and other accessories. Sakura actually found herself having fun playing dress up with Syaoran. Rarely did she get the chance to do so when she went shopping—with Tomoyo especially; always being forced to be the doll but he was trying on the different shirts with her. Syaoran was a natural model as he showed all the shirts with a style all his own causing Sakura to laugh several times at his expense._

_Eventually they settled on a black and white wolf paw print patterned shirt (Sakura's shirt being black with white paw prints and Syaoran's white with black paw prints), and matching white hats. Having found being around each other more comfortably after playing around in the store, Sakura barely noticed how their hands naturally connected as they walked around the town the rest of the day. It was the perfect second first date._

"Nothing special," Sakura replied to Haruto's earlier question with a small smile on her face.

They finished the dishes and made their way to the living room just as Fujitaka said, "Sakura, you never told me you have a boyfriend." Both teens stopped in their tracks.

"W-what?"

In response Fujitaka turned up the volume on the TV: ". . . Li Syaoran, only son and heir to the Li Clan, has been spotted with yet another girl roaming the streets after some time being single. By the looks of it, it appears to be the same girl last seen with him only a week ago entering and exiting a movie theater. The two seem to be very comfortable with each other. They were spotted holding hands as they walked around Tomoeda's shopping district and even wore what appears to be matching couples shirts out of the store. No one knows who the mystery girl is so we're guessing that it must be yet another lucky girl from school that captured his attention. What do you think? Do you think this girl may finally be the real deal, or just another fling? That's it for this segment of celebrity news, now onto the weather."

Neither said anything for a while. Sakura and Haruto's eyes still glued to the TV, jaws slightly open and Fujitaka looking at them, patiently waiting for an answer from his daughter. Finally Sakura collapsed on the couch clutching her head. "Oh my gosh, not them too! I'm so dead."

"Sakura, I don't mind that you have a boyfriend," Fujitaka reassured her rubbing her back. "I just want to know why you didn't tell me."

"There was nothing to tell," Sakura answered. "He's not my boyfriend."

Fujitaka looked surprised, looking from her to the TV and back. "He's not?"

"No, we're just friends, honest. Someone from one of his fan sites might have told the media what they think, but we're not together. You know people like to make something out of nothing." Her voice had a sense of desperation as she explained, as if she were someone who was wrongly accused by the police interrogating her.

Fujitaka smiled. "All right, honey, I believe you." Sakura sighed in relief. At least her dad believed her, unlike everyone else. "I'm glad you gained another friend. I have a feeling something good will come out from this."

Sakura didn't even want to ask what he meant by that and instead said in a quiet voice, "You won't tell Touya-nii-chan, will you? You know he doesn't like me having male friends."

"What about me?" Haruto huffed.

Sakura smiled. "You know you're the exception."

"What? So I'm not a big enough threat for him?" he joked.

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not. It may be because your cuteness got to him too." Haruto pouted but left it at that.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," Fujitaka spoke up, answering Sakura's earlier question. "But I would like to formally meet your new friend. Invite him over for dinner sometime, okay?"

"H-hai."

"Well, glad that's settled." Haruto clapped his hands together and started backing away to the foyer. "I think I should get going now. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Sakura nodded and offered to walk him out. "You don't think Touya will find out, do you?"

"You know he's never been one to get involved in celebrity gossip. Besides, as long as there's nothing going on between you two, there's nothing to worry about."

"I know, but—"

"Sakura, you brother would never do anything to hurt you," Haruto assured her with a gentle hand on her shoulder before making his way down the steps.

Sakura gave a small smile and waved. "It's not me I'm worried about," she whispered.

**x~X~x**

Syaoran entered the secluded part of the school reserved for only those in theater. Many students were running around or gathered in clumps and conversed. Not seeing a particular person among those hanging outside the drama room, Syaoran went through the double doors leading to the inside. Quickly scanning the room only to find the person he was looking for absent, he went through the side door leading to the enclave before the auditorium. Deciding to ditch the stairs he went through another set of doors leading to the auditorium only to find more kids socializing. He spotted the familiar auburn hair amongst a group of kids in a circle on stage. He dumped his bag on a chair and went up through the side stairs. He saw Sakura, Haruto, Daisuke, Rei, and a few other kids he grew to know as Rika, Chiharu, Naoko, and Yamazaki sitting in a circle with their hands in front of them. A majority of them had a number of their fingers curled.

"Li-kun, want to join in? It's not too late," Yamazaki offered, being the first to notice him.

"What's going on?"

"We're playing 'Never Have I Ever,'" Rei explained. "Haruto-kun introduced it to us; it's a popular drama game in the States. It's kind of like truth." Syaoran sat next to Sakura and nodded for Rei to continue. "Basically all you have to do is hold up your hands out like this with your fingers out and say 'Never have I ever . . .' and fill in the space with something you've never done, experienced, said, etc. and if anyone in the circle has done that or whatever, they put one finger down."

"Does it have to be something I've never done or . . . ?"

"It doesn't have to be," Haruto intervened. "The point is to have the most fingers still out. You can make something up if you think it will get some people out. But it makes it more fun if it is truthful."

"So who's winning?"

"Them," Daisuke said pointing to Sakura and Haruto. "I have never met two people as innocent as those two, it's ridiculous. They're saints, I swear."

"Hey, you didn't know what 69 meant either," Shun, Daisuke's best friend, said. "You hang out with **_me_**, how can you **_not_** know what it means?"

"Well I know _now_," Daisuke countered.

"I still don't know what it means," Sakura and Haruto said at the same time.

Rei reached out to pat Sakura's knee. "You don't want to, sweetie."

Syaoran glanced to see all ten of Sakura's finger still out and Haruto only having one down. "What did you get out for?"

"Traveling outside of the country," Haruto responded happily.

"I could've been out for that too except Otou-san never took me with him on his expeditions," Sakura said.

"Haruto-kun, it's your turn," Rei said.

"Ah, right. Um, let's see . . ." Haruto pouted as he was thinking. Finally he said, "Never have I ever . . . had my first kiss."

Everyone in the circle put one finger down one by one. Slowly, Sakura followed suit. There was a brief pause before everyone gasped simultaneously and bombarded her with questions.

"You've seriously already had you're first kiss? _THE_ innocent Sakura?"

Sakura blushed. "I _think_ it could be considered a kiss," she amended, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Why is it that weird? Haruto hasn't even had his first kiss yet."

"The way you two have been playing," Daisuke said, "we're not all that surprised."

Sakura whimpered at that. "But I don't know if it could even be considered a kiss." For some reason she felt like defending herself against the matter.

"Did your lips meet?" It was Chiharu. Sakura nodded. "Did you legitimately feel him kiss you, not just having your lips meet?"

"Well, yeah."

"Did you kiss him back and did it last for more than three seconds?" Sakura thought for a second and then nodded. "Then it was a kiss," she concluded.

Sakura could only laugh nervously. "So who was it?" Shun asked.

"I'm not telling you guys," Sakura said, a pink hue forming on her cheeks.

"Can you tell me?" Haruto asked. "I'm your best friend~" he sang and nudged her.

She nudged him back. "I _already_ told you."

"You did?"

"Yeah, remember, I called you and Tomoyo-chan . . ." Her eyes were urging him to remember.

Haruto had a puzzled look on his face. Sakura sighed and cupped a hand to his ear and whispered something. Haruto's eyes widened and a smile slowly formed. "Oh yeah! Well, I don't know if that's considered a kiss."

"Right?"

"Okay, okay, fine. Will you at least tell us if he's in this building?" It was Yamazaki. Sakura turned to look behind her at the other students in the auditorium and back, her eyes carefully scanning everyone in the circle before finally nodding in confirmation.

"So it is Li-kun!" Naoko said happily, clapping her hands.

"No, it's not," Sakura and Haruto said together.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "It's not?" His voice sounded somewhat disappointed.

"He's your boyfriend, isn't he?" Daisuke deadpanned. "Didn't he, I don't know, kiss you already?"

"Seriously? Why does everyone think that?" Sakura said more to herself, throwing her hands in the air. "For the record, he's not my boyfriend and he wasn't my _first_ kiss."

Seeing they were not going to get anything else out of her they decided to leave it at that and continue the game. Syaoran could barely focus, his mind whirling. If he wasn't Sakura's first kiss, then who was?

**x~X~x**

"Okay, great job you two, please come over here to get your evaluation." Syaoran and Sakura nodded and made their way around the tables across the drama room to where Yukari-sensei and the other two "judges" were sitting. "Li-kun, you've gotten a lot better, you two keep rehearsing on your own, okay?" Syaoran nodded and took the paper. Sakura tried peering over his shoulder to see the score as they walked out the room.

"Two Excellents and a Superior," Sakura read. "That's great!"

"So, why do we have rehearsal two days a week now?"

"It's always like this when Districts comes near. We have only two more weeks after all."

"And you have rehearsal every day after school now?" Sakura nodded. They entered the auditorium which was full of kids waiting their turn to go in the drama room to perform their event. "Are people still bothering you?" he whispered.

Sakura shook her head, discreetly tugging at her sleeves to cover her hands. "Not so much anymore. I know I'm safe here but anywhere else . . ." Syaoran nodded in understanding. She didn't need to finish for him to know. "Oh, my Dad said he'd like to meet you soon."

"As your boyfriend?"

"No, regardless of what that celebrity news segment said about us," she added her voice full of rancor. "Just because a guy and a girl spend some time together, doesn't mean they're dating or in a relationship. I feel bad for all the celebrities out there."

Syaoran chuckled. "I'll see when can come over for dinner then," he said. "What time do you usually eat?"

"On weekends, usually six-thirty or seven."

"Why only weekends?"

"Because Outou-san doesn't have a class to teach those days. Oh, there's Haruto!" Sakura began dragging Syaoran to where Haruto was sitting with the same group from earlier on the stage when she suddenly stopped.

Syaoran looked to her taken aback. "What's wrong?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing, we should go."

She made a move to walk away but he stood his ground pulled her hand back. "Sakura-chan, what's wrong; you jump at the chance to be with your friend."

"Yeah but he looks like he's having fun with them, I don't want to interrupt," she said timidly.

Syaoran looked back to where Haruto was and refrained himself from groaning and rolling his eyes. "You were just fine with them all earlier."

"Only because I was with Haruto. They technically invited him and I just happened to tag along."

Syaoran gave her an incredulous look. Her eyes were downcast, looking anywhere but him. He wanted to laugh at how silly she was being but didn't dare to. "Look," he said giving her hand a light reassuring squeeze, "you can't expect to make friends by running away from them. Tenshi has already made a lot of friends here."

"Because they can't help it; people just naturally want to be with him. I was only able to play with them because he wanted me there with him."

"I'm sure he did that so you would get more comfortable with everyone. He wants you to have more friends you can rely on too." Sakura looked up at him over the rim of her glasses, her green eyes expectant. He tugged her hand towards him once more and began to walk. "Come on, I know you want to join them."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but who was she kidding, she _did_ want to join them. She wanted to know what it was like to have more than one friend. It has been less than a week since Haruto started school and already he was in the inner circle of the top crop in Drama.

"May we join?" Came Syaoran's voice next to her. The group nodded happily and made room for the two.

"H-hi guys," Sakura said shyly moving to sit in between Haruto and Syaoran.

Haruto took one look at her and immediately sensed her discomfort. "Hey, Sakura, can you feel this for me?" He held out his arm and tugged on his jacket sleeve. Sakura rubbed his forearm, feeling the soft texture of the jacket. "You know what it's made out off?" Sakura shook her head and Haruto pulled his arm away until Sakura's fingers touched the skin of his hand. "Boyfriend material."

The crowd groaned and Sakura, finally able to smile, playfully shoved him. "And you wonder why you're still single."

"You two seem really close," Rika said as if she had been observing them for some time now. "How long have you known each other?"

Sakura and Haruto looked at each other and shrugged. "Forever I guess."

"We used to be neighbors," Sakura clarified.

"So you two must know everything about each other."

"Pretty much."

"How about we quiz you to see how good of friends you are," Naoko suggested. Sakura was hesitant but Haruto immediately agreed.

"Okay, easy question: when are your birthdays?"

Haruto answered, "April first," at the same time Sakura said, "July eighteenth."

"Favorite color?"

"Pink and White."

"Black."

"Siblings?"

"One older brother."

"Same."

"Favorite pass time?"

"Read."

"Dance."

"Okay, enough of the easy questions, Sakura," Daisuke interrupted, "do you really think that's Haruto-kun's hair?"

Sakura turned to look over Haruto's long hair. She tugged on a string on hair and answered, "No."

Haruto laughed. "Why? Why?"

"You're already really cute. If you grew out your hair, you'd certainly get mistaken for a girl." she turned back to the group and pointed to his hair. "Don't be fooled, these are hair extensions."

"Is that true?" asked Naoko who carefully observed his hair.

Haruto was laughing, covering his mouth with his hand, and nodded. "I got them at the States. A friend there wants to be a hairstylist and I was her experiment for that segment. I didn't get a chance to get them removed before I came and I don't know how."

"It looks good though," Sakura said, stroking his hair. "It somehow makes you look manly." Haruto smiled and puffed his chest out. "But you still look a little bit like a girl."

He deflated. "Actually, it's funny you should say that. The first time I used a public bathroom here I got mistaken for a girl."

The group burst into laughter. "What did you do?" Shun asked.

"Well luckily only one guy was there. But as soon as he saw me, he was like, 'O-oh, I'm sorry,' and was trying to, you know, hurry up—" The guys were snickering while Sakura and most of the girls listened rather uncomfortably. "So I cleared my throat in a deep tone so that he would know I wasn't a girl." The group continued to laugh.

"From now on, especially if you use the bathroom in school," Daisuke said, "you should say, 'I have to pee' in the deepest, manliest voice you can as soon as you walk in. Trust me, I've been there."

"When was this?" Rei asked laughing.

"It was when the Yearbook Club came to take pictures of Clueless. I was already in costume as Hagitha and I needed to use the bathroom. It wasn't like we were running it how it would be at Districts like we are now so I walked across the house and used the bathroom in the lobby. I guess one of the Yearbook guys was there and when he saw me he was all like, 'Oh, I'm sorry, Ma'am,' and was looking around as if _he_ was the one in the wrong bathroom."

The whole group was laughing. "And did you say it?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. Oh my gosh, you should have seen his face." Daisuke mimicked how the guy's face had looked and everyone laughed louder. "I kinda wish that would happen at Districts."

"Enough of this, let's get onto the juicy stuff," Shun said. "Have you two ever fought?"

"Yeah," Haruto said. "But it's mainly over silly things like who gets the last cupcake or something."

"Okay, but have you ever gotten into a really big fight? Like something that affected you both?"

As Haruto was thinking back, Sakura answered yes for them both. Chiharu asked who won and Sakura gestured to Haruto. "It was a very long verbal fight. We couldn't even speak to each other for over a week," Sakura explained. "I eventually realized that he had done it for my own good and forgave him."

"What was the fight about?" Syaoran asked, voicing for the first time in a while.

"It doesn't matter now," Sakura answered and took Haruto's hand in hers. "I'm just glad I have a friend like Haruto to snap me back to my senses." They both smiled at each other before turning back to answer the rest of the questions thrown at them.

"So Sakura-chan is actually really good at dancing?"

"Yep, she studied with me and my parents so naturally she can do a variety of dances too. But you should know, you guys are all in the large group with her."

"Don't listen to him," Sakura said. "I can only dance something that's already been choreographed. If you want some on-the-spot dancing, Haruto would be so much better at it."

"What kind of dance is he really good at?" Rei asked.

"He can do everything, but he's especially good at popping. He's really amazing; it's as if he has no bones."

"Really?"

"Mm. I think his dancing ability one of his best assets."

Shun smirked as he watched the two. He glanced a Syaoran briefly and asked, "What else do you like about him?"

Sakura put a finger to her chin as she was thinking. "Mm, I like how he talks, he has a very sweet and innocent way of talking. Also how he tries to be cocky but it never works and quickly apologizes afterwards, how his hair always seems to fall perfectly into place no matter what, he's always very sweet and you can never help but smile when you're around him. I don't know, he's one of those people that when you look at him, you immediately feel better—"

"Stop, you're embarrassing me."

"Oh, and how cute he looks when he's embarrassed, and how he covers his mouth with his hand whenever he laughs—"

"Sakura has a hair fetish," Haruto blurted out and the air went still.

"Yeah, I do," Sakura said, saving Haruto from getting too embarrassed. "I loved playing with his hair especially because it's thick but really soft," she explained while stroking his hair. "It's like petting a newborn kitty."

"Know anything else that's embarrassing about Sakura?"

"Yamazaki," Chiharu said, slapping his knee.

"What? We've all been in the same class with her, what, three years and we still don't know any deep dark secrets?"

"We don't know everyone's secrets either," Daisuke retorted.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Sakura spoke up. "Just don't say anything too bad," she whispered to Haruto.

"Um, okay." He pouted his lips as he thought. "Oh I got one," he said and clapped once. "I don't know if it's embarrassing but I know Sakura can't sleep alone at night."

"Really?" Syaoran voiced, his voice clearly intrigued by this set of information.

"Yeah. When we were younger, I would sneak over and wait until she fell asleep or sleep with her. It got to the point where my parents would just go over to her house for breakfast in the morning."

"Wow. And her parents didn't say anything?"

"No, my Dad was completely okay with it," Sakura said. "I would always get nightmares unless Haruto or someone else was there with me until I slept. When he had to go to the States it was hard at first."

"So you had to learn to sleep by yourself?" Naoko asked.

"No, my cat became his substitute," Sakura said laughing. "He just jumps on my bed and goes under the covers when he knows I'm going to sleep. He likes to curl up next to me but he takes up most of the bed. He even wakes me up when my alarm clock can't."

"Smart cat," Syaoran murmured

"All right, people, listen up," Yukari's voice rang through the auditorium, "people in Clueless, if you've already shown me all your events, you can go home. Sorry but we won't be able to finish our run through. Anyone who hasn't shown me their event for today, please stay; everyone else, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

"Sakura-chan, are you doing anything?" Daisuke asked. Sakura thought for a second before shaking her head. "Because a bunch of us were planning to go karaoke for a while. Do you want to come?"

Sakura looked to Haruto who in turn nudged her, encouraging her to go. She turned to Syaoran whom shrugged as if to say it's up to her. "Sure. Ah, can Syaoran-kun come too?"

Syaoran was about to politely decline but they had already agreed and got up to get their things. Syaoran was left sitting there within seconds. Sighing he got up as well and followed the group out.

**x~X~x**

The group clapped as Syaoran finished his song. Not one to sing in public, but considering how it was just him and the Drama group in their own room, he felt almost relaxed—it was a different energy than hanging out with the boys; more carefree and lively. He sat back down next to Daisuke and looked to Sakura whom was sitting next to Haruto on the small couch across from him sharing the songbook between them. Their eyes met and Sakura gave him a thumbs-up.

Haruto rapidly tapped Sakura's shoulder and pointed to a song in the book. It took a second for Sakura to register the song and burst out laughing with Haruto. The others were looking for songs as well and all stopped to stare at the two. Shun was the one to ask what the hell was so funny.

"It's nothing," Sakura answered shaking her head. "Haruto pointed out a _High School Musical_ song he found and that brought back so many memories."

"We were obsessed with it when it first came out, remember?"

"Oh yeah. We memorized all the lyrics and every dance—"

"And when the third one came out and I came to visit we made it a goal to master all the choreography—"

"Your parents actually had to help us with the waltz."

"So you guys were like, dance partners?" Rika asked.

Sakura nodded. "This was our childhood. We would always role-play and even wanted to put on a production of it but never got the chance."

"Sakura and I were cast as the leads while our other friend would be directing the whole thing."

Chiharu smiled at them. She loved watching their energy bounce of each other. In all her years of being a classmate of hers, she had never seen Sakura so open and lively as she was with Haruto. "So you two dance together a lot?"

"I guess so," Sakura answered. "Whenever either of us find a choreography we especially want to learn we show it to each other and try to learn it ourselves."

"Remember when we did a dance cover of the waltz but never posted it?"

"It was on your computer, what happened?"

"I think it's still saved on my laptop."

"I really want to see this now," Daisuke said. "Show us, show us."

Sakura blushed in embarrassment and Haruto laughed it off. "It's not on the list though. Maybe one day before or after rehearsal," Haruto amended.

"But we really want to see you two dance now," Naoko said pouting. "Not all the Charleston, musical dances either, something that's in or more modern, right, Syaoran-kun?"

"Uh, yeah."

"See? Come on, at least show us something," Yamazaki insisted

"Sakura why don't you go first?" Sakura sent Haruto a _you traitor_ look. He responded by pushing her up onto the small stage.

Sakura just stood there dazed, staring at the people around her nervously as she tried to think of a song. Suddenly a thought came to her and she rushed to Haruto's side and whispered something in her ear, hand cupped to his ear so that no one would be able to mouth read what she was saying. At the very end all that could be heard was, "You know it, right?" Haruto nodded and gave her a thumbs up. He then reached for the remote to put in the number of the song.

"Okay," Sakura exclaimed hopping back to center stage. "Hello everyone, I'm Sakura Kinomoto and I will be performing BoA-san's Only One for you all."

The room became lively and full of applause. "Go, Sakura!" The group cheered and Sakura looked at the encouraging crowd. She spotted Syaoran cheering for her too and reached for the headset mike, allowing her to dance and sing hands free. "Can you move the stuff on the table first?" Sakura requested as she got into position. "Sorry I haven't done this in a while." Everyone helped on clearing the table just as the music began to play. Immediately, Sakura's movements were graceful and flawless, capturing the audience's attention.

_"Hanareteku ima mo You're the only one  
>Itoshii sono subete ga You're the only one<br>Itakute mo kurushikute mo dakedo gGood bye  
>Kono saki mo kitto zutto You're the only one, only one"<em>

In substitute of the original choreography, Sakura laid on the table with her right hand propped up keeping her up.

_"Otagai ni saguriatte  
>Sasai na iiwake ga chirabatta"<em>

The crowd whistled as Sakura laid fully down on her stomach and kicked her feet. She was facing Syaoran and gave him a shy smile before spinning off the table to continue performing.

_"Sugoshita jikan sae sametakute  
>futari wo setsunaku mitsumeteru"<em>

_Kokokara futari sou na tabidatsu no_

_ Sorezore no michi wo erande yuku no  
>Toomawarishi tsuzuketa kotobatachi ga<br>Tsuyoku senaka oshite So, I'll let you go_

_Hontou wa sunao ni you're the only one (You're the only one)_  
><em>Kimi ni tsutaetakatta you're the only one<br>Itakute mo kurushikute mo dakedo good bye  
>Sayonara iwasete yo you're the only one, only one"<em>

Everyone was so engrossed with her performance they barely noticed Haruto stand up and walk to Sakura in synch of the music. Sakura's eyes met his and she smiled and nodded, acknowledged him as her dance partner. He dipped up and stroked her hair with both hands, their faces inches apart. The crowed hollered.

_That little bastard,_ Syaoran thought and gave a soft chuckled. The two separated and danced the small duet perfectly in synch.

_"You're the only one, only one_

_Totsuzen no kotoba de SCENARIO mitai ni susundeku  
>Zureteyuku zureteyuku serifu dake ga<br>Kamiawazu sora wo mai PERIOD wo utsu_

_Hajimari mo owari mo onaji you ni  
>Iki mo dekinai kurai azayaka na SCENE<br>Afuredasu omoi ga munashiku saseru no  
>Dousureba ima wo norikoerareru"<em>

Haruto danced back to his seat and casually sat back down and watched Sakura as if nothing had happened. The only thing that gave him away was the smile on his face as he watched the rest and his chest heaving imperceptibly.

_"Honto wa sunao ni you're the only one (Only one)_  
><em>Kimi ni tsutaetakatta you're the only one<br>Itakutemo kurushikutemo dakedo good bye (good bye)_  
><em>Arigatou iwasete you you're the only one (You're the only one)"<em>

_Itsu no hi ka ima ga omoide ni natte (I will let you go)  
>Egao de dareka no tonari ni itemo (My baby can't forget)<em>

_Kimi no naka no watashi ga kiesattemo  
>Kono saki mo kitto zutto You're the only, only one<em>  
><em><br>Only one_

_Only one_  
><em>You're the only one, only one"<em>

Haruto. He was still bragging about Sakura having learned it all by herself as she was putting the headset mike back in place and moving to take a seat once more, this time next to Syaoran.

"Wow, you really taught yourself? You didn't look up a tutorial?" Rika asked. Sakura nodded in confirmation. "That's really amazing. BoA-san's songs and choreography are not easy to learn."

"Next time you and Haruto need to do a real duet, got it?" Shun said and winked at her.

"O-okay."

Sakura plopped down next to Syaoran and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just really nervous."

"You were great out there," he said softly, everyone else was busy looking up songs once more. Sakura smiled shyly. "And . . ." he leaned closer to her ear. "I also want to see you dance more too. You two should show us the waltz soon, okay?"

Sakura blinked and whipped her head to face him. A soft, warm smile was on his face. She smiled and nodded. Both of them grabbed an abandoned songbook and flipped through the pages.

* * *

><p><strong>Only One<strong>

by

**BoA**

from

**Only One album**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 12**

**jd** Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well**.**

**Littlepuppylost** Ha ha, yeah. Thank you! :D

**GirlOnFire (reply from Chapter 7)** First off, love the pen name—very Hunger Games-ish. ;) Second, yes it was, partially. I made a Hunger Games reference? I'll have to go back and re-read it but I don't remember doing so. LOL I probably did it subconsciously, but props to me anyhow, ne? :D I would LOVE to be you friend! Thank you so much. We'll see what happens. I hope you enjoy the rest!

**Died Curse (reply from Chapter 3)** I actually did that on purpose to see how many people caught the subtle hints I put in. Props to you for catching that! I hope you enjoy reading the rest. :D

**Anony** Hey! Yeah it was a bit of a filler chapter; this one too, a little. Last chapter I just wanted to get you used to the theater environment instead of just springing it on you later on.

**dreeeamtails** I hope it didn't take you too long. Or that it didn't keep you up at night just to finish it. Thank you by the way; I'm working hard to update more frequently. Thank you!

**Ariauna** I'm glad!

**Kayla** I'm doing my best! :D

**Guest** I did! I'm Sorry it took so long!

**fuchaoife** Thank you! Sorry if this chapter was a little lacking.

Sorry for the late update. I've been living too long in the SHINee World and can't seem to move out. :P Not that I'm complaining. I also got a new job so there goes my free time. I haven't even had time to read or beta and reading, I feel, makes my writing better. So if this chapter doesn't seem like my normal style, or you find lacking in some aspect, I'm sorry about that. I will now read more and finish beta reading and other stuff to help me improve. This chapter was very Drama/Theater based so, that being said, I dedicate this chapter to my high school Drama teacher whose birthday is today. Thank you for all that you've taught me, for making me more confident, and for supporting and believing in me. I will never forget all the fab lessons I learned and I will most certainly use them in the real world. I know she'd NEVER read this but it's still a nice thought, ne? I will try to update soon (reviews are much appreciated); again, sorry if this isn't your favorite chapter but I hope you continue to read. More SxS coming soon, I promise. ;D

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated March 3, 2013**


	14. 상사병 Symptoms

**Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 14: ****상사병**** Symptoms**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** There have been some major changes made. First of all, Syaoran and Sakura are still not a couple at this point, and secondly, Sakura hasn't become friends with Rika, Chiharu, Naoko, or Yamazaki yet. I have made it so that they are now part of her Drama department and build up from there. You can go back and reread the changes as the revised chapters have already been updated, or you can continue to find out what happens next. For those who have stuck around until now, or those just joining in after catching up, enjoy. :D P.S. sorry for the cheesiness in this chapter—I wrote it months before but didn't post it until now, and although I fixed most of it, but I couldn't edit out all of the first part unless I wanted to redo the chapter all over, but that would have made you wait more so . . . yeah, enjoy, I guess. ^-^

* * *

><p>It was strange. His whole body was aching at the mere thought of her. Even being near her was starting to cause his body to grow numb. But how, when she was doing nothing but standing there next to him. They had been having more and more rehearsals on their own. The park seemed to have become their go-to meeting place. He had tried, but he could barely focus on the song. How could he when she was so close. To him. Alone.<p>

His hand had reached up to touch his cheek. He could still feel her warm hand. He didn't care if it was part of the "choreography" she had willingly touched him. He had held her. She was so small and fragile in his arms; he had the undeniable need to protect her like he had the first time he had witnessed to extent of her bullying problem.

Every time he was away from her his chest seemed to hurt. It was one of the reasons why he began eating lunch with her more frequently—he couldn't stay away from her for too long. When had he first started feeling this way? When had his body become so accustomed to having her with him? When had it started causing him pain when she was away? When? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint and exact time he started feeling this way.

It took all he had to not kiss her in the middle of the song whenever they practiced for their duet. It was torture to be so close to her, but it was torture to be away from her too. He put his arm over his eyes as he lay in bed and his head continued to be plagued with thoughts of her.

_"If it's not too much trouble, would it be okay if you stopped picking me up from work from now on?"_ she had said. She didn't go into much detail, something about not wanting to attract any more attention to them—which he understood to a certain extent. He knew how hurtful the netizens could be and she had enough to deal with in real life as it is. But did she really have to go as far as to tell him that he didn't need to walk her to work or home anymore? Seriously, every time he thought he got closer to her, she always seemed to pull back.

And yet, even the smallest gestures she did to show—or at least to him it seemed like she showed—that she trusted him, or even liked him made his heart sore. Something as small as not pulling away from his embrace or keeping her hand in his may not seem like a big deal, but to him it was a triumph in a long battle ahead.

Rehearsing together seemed to have brought them a little closer, and even he seemed to be enjoying the company of their new friends, Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, Yamazaki, Shun, and Daisuke, whom both he and Haruto learned from Sakura that they were the top of the top in Drama. He knew there were cliques in school, but it looked as if they were all divided into smaller cliques in accordance to the different clubs, who then in turn had their own cliques. From what he had experienced, it seemed as though the Drama cliques were the friendliest. Weird, but friendly nonetheless. They were all outcasts; they had all been picked on at some point or another. Although there was friendly competition in the department, no one ever did anything to harm another—they knew how that felt like. They had no problem speaking their minds, which eased the atmosphere of the place where stress and anxiety from the upcoming competition had taken over. Everyone was fun to be with when they weren't in their "professional" mode, as Sakura put it.

Sakura. No matter how hard he tried to turn his brain elsewhere, it would always somehow, someway lead right back to her. He reached for his phone which lay next to him on the bed to check the time. 10:30PM—she would be cleaning up about now, and getting ready to leave work. He groaned as another hot wave flowed through his chest. His free hand went to grab his shirt, right above from where his heart would be. It didn't ease the pain, but he liked to think it helped.

"Sakura," he called out in the dark, black night. "What have you done to me?"

**x~X~x**

Syaoran walked in to find Sakura the only one in the classroom—her arms supporting her head down on the desk. He asked one once why she was always the first in class. She said it was because she used to always be late so she had to change her alarm clock so it read three hours later to trick herself into thinking she was late.

_"But once you've tricked yourself long enough, wouldn't you know better and end up going back to sleep?" Syaoran asked. "It's not like you could fall for it every time."_

_Sakura shrugged. "I'm not a morning person, so I wouldn't notice until I came down for breakfast."_

_"Still, isn't three hour a bit much?"_

_"Not for me," Sakura said, giving out a small laugh. "At least I get plenty of time to eat breakfast and make lunch."_

Syaoran smiled at the memory even when his chest started to ache at the thought of it, but the pain wasn't as bad as last night, as if his body knew that she was only a mere few feet away. Ignoring it, he walked into the room and quietly slid the door shut. He shifted into the seat in front of her and placed his arms on the back of the chair to rest his head on. She didn't even stir. Lightly he gave her a few light shoves while calling out her name in a sing-song voice.

He was met face to face with cold green eyes glaring at him through her soft auburn bangs and his breath stopped. She was staring at him with the same cold eyes as when he was first trying to earn her trust. He knew he had more ways to go, but he was getting closer little by little. Her eyes soften a little; she must have finally realized it was him. She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes as she murmured a low, "Oh, it's only you."

"Good morning to you, too," he said, smiling. He placed his hand over her own that was going for her glasses and gently brought it back down on the desk. "If you're tired, you can sleep for a few more minutes. I'll wake you up when class starts."

She gave a small nod and placed her head back down over her arms, her face facing the window. It was barely audible, but he heard a small "Thank you." Not long after that her breathe evened out and he knew she was fast asleep.

Syaoran's face softened as he looked at the girl before him. He let his fingers brush her bangs away to get a better look at her sleeping face. Her mouth was completely closed but relaxed, and her lashes kissed the top of her cheeks. She looked so peaceful, and innocent, and . . . vulnerable.

"She's so cute when she sleeps, huh? Like a little kitty cat," came a whisper right next to his ear.

Syaoran jumped and had his hands in a fighting-ready position. He sighed and lowered his arms when he realized who it was. "Don't scare me like that," he said in a hushed voice, mindful of Sakura sleeping.

Haruto gave a low chuckle and moved to kneel in front of Sakura. He smoothed her hair out gently and smiled. "She's always been like this. She can fall asleep practically anywhere—even standing up. It's always a pain trying to get her to wake up."

Syaoran laughed at that. "Somehow I believe that. She's been sleeping a lot before class recently. Sometimes I see her nodding off in class too."

Haruto turned to look at him. "That's not like Sakura. Not matter how tired she is, she always does her best to stay awake in class. She takes her studies seriously." Haruto looked back at Sakura. "The fact that she's starting to fall asleep during class must mean she's having trouble keeping up with her hectic schedule."

"I'm sure it's just because she's stressed over Districts. It's only a few days away and there have been rehearsals every day now," Syaoran reassured. "She even had to cut back on her work hours at the bakery for this too."

"I guess," Haruto sighed. "Or there's something else bothering her that she's not telling us." Syaoran didn't know what to say to that. A few students have started to pile in and just kept increasing. Haruto noticed and stood up. "It seems class will be starting soon. I'll stop by during the breaks. Take care of her in the meantime, okay?"

Syaoran could only nod as he saw Haruto slip through the door to go to his own classroom. Looking back at Sakura, he worried that the noise from the students would bother her, when he noticed something white on her ear and he immediately recognized it as an ear bud. She must have put music on to drown out the noise for this reason. Syaoran smiled and patted her head. _Don't push yourself too hard, Sakura._

**x~X~x**

True to his word, Haruto came to visit Sakura during the breaks. And every time Sakura politely excused herself to spend some one-on-one time with her old friend leaving Syaoran to stare off after her alone—if you call being surrounded by every girl in his class alone. He was blatantly ignoring the girls around him but he doubted they cared as long as they were able to say they were in his presence.

One of the girls finally followed his line of eye sight and gave a small huff. "Why do you even bother with her, Li-san?"

Syaoran snapped back to reality and gave the girl a questioning look. "What was that?"

The girl wasn't pleased by his answer. Syaoran recognized her as Makoto, one of Hanako's friends whom was lucky enough to share the same classroom as him. Syaoran figured Hanako probably had her keep an eye on him, something she was much too happy to do. "Kinomoto Sakura," she stated sourly. "I just want to know why you're bothering with someone like her," Makoto repeated. "It seems to me like she prefers the new guy more than you."

Syaoran swallowed and managed a smile. "She's just more comfortable with him than me," he said. "They are childhood friends after all."

"I'm amazed you can put up with her, Li-kun," another girl said. "I mean, she's such a freak. She doesn't even try to talk to anyone, as if she's better than everyone else."

Syaoran's hand clenched into a fist but he didn't say anything. He wanted to see how they really thought of Sakura.

"Right?" another girl chimed in. "And what with her always making it a point to be at the top of the class. Is she trying to show off or something?"

Makoto scuffed. "It's so annoying. Like, if her nose isn't dug into a textbook in class, it's dug into some kind of book in the library. I'm amazed she even has a friend like Haruto-kun, whose way out of her league."

"I bet that if he wasn't here, she would still be friendless, how pathetic. It's not like those stupid books of hers have done her any good."

Syaoran heard just about enough. "Stop," he said in a low voice. It sounded much more commanding and menacing than meaning to, but he really didn't care at this point.

The girls turned to face him. "What was that Li-kun?"

Syaoran stood up and glared down at them. "I said stop; that's enough. I don't want to hear you bitching off about her again, understand?" The girls were shocked by his tone more than anything and didn't say anything after that their heads hung low—like a kid when being scolded by their mother. He started walking away from them when he suddenly stopped. "And you're wrong," he said, not turning to face them. His anger was still high and he didn't want to do something he'd regret later. "I would make it my purpose to be friends with her even if Tenshi wasn't here."

Syaoran practically stomped over to where Sakura and Haruto were at. Sakura eyes bore into his as he was approaching them and he could swear he could feel his heart pierce as her green eyes made contact with his. _Damn it, Sakura, how do you do that?_

"Hey, Syaoran-kun," Sakura greeted cheerfully. She and Haruto were sitting with their backs against the wall right between their two classrooms. "How did the girls treat you?"

Syaoran growled at the thought of what the girls had said about Sakura just moments prior. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Sakura gave him a questioning look but decided to drop it. "Well, want to sit down with us? We're just talking about school, nothing fancy." Syaoran shrugged and sat down next to Sakura. He was being uncharacteristically quiet today, and he knew Sakura could sense this. Still, she wasn't the type of person that wanted to know every detail about everyone and everything so she didn't comment on his behavior. "Soooo, what do you think of the school so far?" Sakura asked turning back to Haruto.

"Great, except for the fact that I had a pop quiz my first day here.

Sakura winced. "Ouch. How was it?"

"Well it was English so I think I passed."

Sakura laughed. "I think you're more than good. I bet you don't have to worry about English class at all." Syaoran could see a tint of pink forming on Haruto's cheeks. "Hey, since you're pretty much fluent in it, maybe you could tutor me sometime?"

"Sure. No problem."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Really?" She grabbed his arm and tugged on it. "You really mean it?"

Haruto nodded, smiling down at her "Of course, what are friends for?" He must have been used to this kind of behavior from her—if it were Syaoran in his shoes he would barely be able to nod at her. He needed to get to know this Sakura better; the Sakura who wasn't afraid to smile, joke around, share her feelings, rely on him, or anything else that she and Haruto seem to share throughout their long years of friendship.

Sakura, with her hands still wrapped around Haruto's arm, rested her head on his shoulder. Even Haruto must have been surprised by her actions when he asked her, "What's wrong?"

Sakura nuzzled deeper into his arm in response. "Shh. Sleepy," she mumbled. For the second time that day, he saw Sakura's peaceful sleeping face. His eyes shifted to Haruto to see a concerned look on his face which he was sure matched his own. He was just about to ask what was wrong when a teacher called Haruto over. He answered back saying he's be right there before turning to Syaoran.

"Can you look after her for a minute?" he asked carefully prying Sakura's hands off his. Sakura's eyes scrunched together at the lack of warmth but Haruto gently pushed her so she laid her head on Syaoran's shoulder instead. Syaoran's breath caught when Sakura wrapped her hands around his arm so she was in the same position as she was with Haruto before. "I'll be right back," Haruto whispered, and Syaoran could do nothing but watch him leave, a perfectly content and oblivious Sakura in his arm.

Haruto came back a minute later with a stack of papers in hand. "Hey, I have to go do something for the teacher. Tell Sakura I'll meet up with her at lunch or something, okay?"

"Sure." Inside, Syaoran was relived; he didn't want to give Sakura back right away. Only a few minutes had passed but Syaoran's lower back was starting to hurt. He looked down to see how Sakura was doing. She didn't seem to have a care in the world—he wondered if she really was comfortable in that position. It certainly didn't look comfortable but her peaceful face told another story. He let out a small chuckle "You really are like a cat."

The warning bell rang then and the students around them rushed to get to their class. He managed to glare away anyone who dared say something about them. "Sakura-chan," he called out. Nothing. "Sakura-chan, time to wake up, we don't want to be late for class now do we?" Still nothing. "Do I need kiss Sleeping Beauty awake?" Again, nothing. Sakura instead squeezed his arm closer to her. "Okay, suit yourself~"

Syaoran placed his thumb and forefinger under her chin and gently lifted her face. He leaned in and gave a soft, chaste kiss on her cheek. Nothing. He leaned in again, this time going for her nose. She stirred but didn't open her eyes. "Well, you forced me into it, Sa-ku-ra-chan," he whispered. He leaned in again. This time going for her lips. He was just centimeters away when her eyes slowly opened. It took about three full seconds for her to read the situation.

She jerked away from him and glared. "What are you— Syaoran-kun?" Her eyes blinked in surprise. She must have sensed it was someone else other than Haruto, but obviously didn't know it was him until now. "What the hell?" She was back to glaring at him with those same cold green eyes as before.

Syaoran shrugged and stood up. "You wouldn't wake up," he said simply. "So naturally, being the prince that I am, had to wake up his Sleeping Beauty."

"All right, you need to stop with all the Disney references." She took his extended hand and pulled herself up. "First you rip off Flynn Rider's signature look, and now Sleeping Beauty?"

"I didn't rip it off," Syaoran said, in a matter-of-fact kind of tone and began walking into their classroom. "I perfected it."

Sakura hid her laughter with a cough. Syaoran gave her a strange look which she simply waved off. "I'm sorry," she said as she took a seat down on her chair.

Syaoran followed and sat down at his seat right behind hers. "No you're not," he said. "You don't believe I perfected it do you?"

Sakura turned around to retort but stopped midway. He was doing it and, she had to admit, it was impressive, but much like Rapunzel, she was unaffected by it. The final bell rang and Sakura knew the teacher would soon come in. She pushed his shoulder playfully. "Oh please, just—" She smirked. "Let it go."

**x~X~x**

"Oh, my dearest Halia. Faithful servant…" Hagitha spread her arms wide and went to hug Halia.

Halia placed a hand on Hagitha's head and pushed her away. "Oh, hell no! Back away you crazy old bitch!"

"Are those the words of a killer? Huh?" Pureluck accused, finger pointing at Halia. "How about it Halia Jackson? Was a lifetime of cleaning up after Poopsie enough to drive you over the edge?"

"Hell _yeah_ it was!" Halia confessed. "That little yappy dog, spent his days stinking up the place, dropping his little Poopsie poops _everywhere_! I _hated_ that little rat, but that don't mean I killed him."

"Halia! How could you?" wailed Hagitha dramatically. "My….beloved…Poopsie."

"Beloved my _ass_! You might have loved that little rat, five years ago, but something happened after Mr. Featherbottom died …"

Dodson, notepad in hand, asked, "What was that? Halia? What happened?"

"Well, I don't know what exactly. But something was different. Mr. F always hated that mutt, but Mrs. Featherbottom worshipped the ground little Poopsie peed on. She nagged him all the time." Halia went upstage center and grabbed the painted frame of Poopsie from the stand, mocking Hagitha's fake Brtitish accent. "'Look at the puppy! Look at the puppy! Isn't he pre-es-cious.'" She slammed the picture down on the floor. "She even insisted on leaving Poopsie everything in the will. That way, whoever took care of him would be in control of their money and take good care of him. Mr. F, resisted, but Hagitha was persistent, and eventually he gave in. Then when he died, it was like his hate for Poopsie transferred into Mrs. F."

"You hated Poopsie, huh?" he said, his head already calculating what Halia had said. "You hated the one pers…thing…standing between you and a multi-million dollar inheritance.

"How dare you accuse me!" Hagitha retorted in her 'British' accent. "How very dare you! I could NEVER hate Poopsie! He was my angel! My everything!" She fell dramatically on the chaze lounge

"Ha! Not her _everything,_" Halia said, her sassy hips swaying as she walked towards Hagitha. She bent down next to Hagitha's ear but said, just loud enough so everyone could hear, "Why don't you tell them about _Rodrigo_?"

Hagitha sat up straight and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about."

"Who is Rodrigo?" Dodson asked.

"Her Pilates instructor," Halia clarified, emphasis on instructor.

"He keeps me in shape!" Hagitha defended.

"In more ways than one."

Hagitha stood up. "Halia! Your lies have reached a new level of loooow,"

"And where can we find this Rodrigo?" Pureluck asked.

"He's been hiding in the secret room behind the bookcase the whole time," Halia said, feather duster pointing to the bookcase

Everyone, except Halia and Hagitha, screamed, "What?"

"How do you know about my secret room?!" Hagitha asked, rather embarrassed.

"And how do you know he's in there?" Dodson, added.

"I've been cleaning every corner of this house for twelve years," Halia said calmly. She sat down on the couch where a passed out Jessica was at on the floor at the very foot of it—due to too much pills and liquor—and dusted the couch with her feather duster all the while looking at Hagitha. "I know _all_ of its secrets."

"Not ALL of its secrets I hope." Hagitha looked hopeful.

"ALL of its secrets!"

Pureluck stepped up. "Even those secrets involving . . . MURDER!" He nodded towards Dodson.

"Oh!" Dodson, who was trying to find something to open up the secret room behind the bookcase, stopped what he was doing and pressed play on the boom box. Except instead of the Dun Dun Dun, music playing, LMFAO's I'm Sexy and I Know It started playing. Everyone broke out into dance and the bookcase slowly swung open, revealing a dancing Rodrigo on the inside, LED lights surrounding his silhouette. Dodson pressed stop on the boom box and everyone, including Rodrigo (being portrayed by Yamazaki) stopped dancing.

Rodrigo looked out confused and snapped his fingers back and forth awkwardly, turning off the LED lights inside the bookcase in the process. "Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah?" He peaked his head out and his head shook as he looked from left to right. "Can Rodrigo come out now?"

Halia gave a sarcastic, "Mmmm Hmmm." Sakura (Halia) rested her head on her arm, her arm being supported by the back of the couch. Sakura saw Daisuke's (Hagitha) eyes meet hers, silently asking if she was okay. She gently nodded her head, telling him she was fine. The exchange went unnoticed by the audience. Only those in the cast knew everyone's movement and staging as if it were their own. Daisuke, quickly snapped back into Hagitha as Rodrigo said his next line.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Featherbottom, but it is cold in that room, and Rodrigo is used to tropical climates." He sees LaDeucé on the ground and gasps. "Oh my goodness! What happened to Mr. Douche?"

"Rodrigo! He's dead!" she said and pointed her hands in LaDeucé's directions. "And please respect his late name. It's _LA-_Douche!"

Rodrigo bent down and cradled LaDeucé's head. "Aye! Poor papi!"

"That's right, he's dead, and you sir are now a suspect!" Pureluck announces.

Rodrigo gasps and stands up, dropping LaDeucé in the process. "Rodrigo is a suspect?!"

"Yes, Rodrigo. You are. And we're going to have to question you." Dodson gives him a once over and cringes. "So you may want to put some pants on."

"Rodrigo IS wearing pants!" he said, clearly offended. He spread his arms wide and crossed his feet, one over the other. "This is my pilates outfit."

"You call THAT an outfit?" Pureluck snickered.

Halia stood up and laughed. "You call THAT an outfit?" She sauntered over to Pureluck, and said in a baby-like voice. "What is that a Fisher Price, My First Detective costume?"

Pureluck look horrified. "I beg your pardon?"

"You can beg for it, but you ain't getting it." Halia added a slight sexy pose at the end. "Is that even a real pipe?"

"It's a bubble pipe. I quit smoking two years ago, thank you very much." To prove his point, he blew into it and bubbles started floating out.

"Cool! Chad exclaims and begins popping the bubbles around him.

Jessica springs up from the ground causing Halia, who was nearest to her, to give out a yelp. "Mama needs another pill!" she exclaims. She notices the bubbles and instantly becomes distracted. "Heylook," she slurs, leaning on Pureluck for support. " It's Glinda, the good witch. Just you and IIIIIII Defyyyyyyyying graaaavity …" She passes back out.

The scene continues on but Sakura was barely able to keep focus. She felt herself getting sleepy once more but she fought it back._ You're almost done,_ Sakura told herself. _Rodrigo is here so you're a little more than half way done. Soon LaDouche will pop back up and you will shoot him and Rodrigo takes hold of him. And then the big reveal. You can do this._

The rest of the one-act went on without a hitch. A few gunshots were out of place, with which Sakura knew they would have to talk about after they were done running through the show. Before she knew it, it was time for her to storm off stage, yelling something along the lines of a family that's nuts and she's quitting. She snickered with Daisuke, whom was already backstage with his "male double" taking his place on stage, before standing at attention, her legs apart and hands behind her back, in front of him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Daisuke whispered, tapping her shoulder lightly. "Are you okay? Your face looks a little red."

Sakura nodded, blinking away the black dots that starting clouding her vision. "Yeah, I'm fine." She faced front once more and decided it was best to close her eyes for a brief second, hoping it would help her tired eyes. When she opened her eyes, her vision was turned on her side, and why was everyone so tall all of a sudden? She saw Raven and Chad's footsteps approaching as they were exiting out of the stage and she immediately knew what had happened to her. They stopped briefly in front of her surprised to find her lying on her side on the floor. Luckily they were already far enough in the wings that no one in the audience noticed it.

She saw the concerned faces of the tech and cast that were there so far. If Raven and Chad were there already, it wouldn't be long until LaDeucé, Dodson, and "Hagitha" would exit the stage too. She stood right up and instantly regretted it. She grabbed hold of her head and felt someone take her hand, she grabbed hold of it gratefully to help steady herself.

Naoko, who was the floor manager, was instantly at her side. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Sakura managed a nod but it seemed Naoko was ignoring her. Taking hold of her other arm carefully, she led her to the girl's dressing room crossing the stage, making sure to travel behind the mid drape.

"Wait, hold on," Sakura said as she was forced to take a seat. "I still have to go out and help strike the set."

"Oh shush, you're an actor now, we have someone in tech to take care of it," Naoko said, handing her a bottle of water and a lollipop she got from the bowl of candies they had lying around the dressing room. "Daisuke-kun, stay with her, okay?"

Daisuke nodded in understanding and sat in one of the chairs in front of her. Sakura had just now realized that it was Daisuke that offered his hand earlier to keep her balanced. She blushed at the thought, obviously still not over her little crush she had on him. It was silent between them. Sakura finally took a deep breath and gathered her courage speak. "I fainted, didn't I?"

He mimicked, Halia's "Mm hmm," and Sakura gave a soft laugh.

"How long was I out?"

"Not long," Daisuke spoke. "About five seconds." Sakura didn't know what else to do but nod. "It kind of scared me to be honest," Daisuke spoke up. "One minute we're standing at attention, and the next I see you fall back. I couldn't get my arms out in time to catch you fully so you kind of just slid down. No one knew what to do."

Sakura blushed in embarrassment and hung her head. "I'm sorry."

Daisuke shook his head. "Don't be. But um, are you okay?"

"I'm all right now," Sakura assured, taking a sip from her water bottle before popping the lollipop back in her mouth. "Really, I can go out and help strike the set."

As soon as the words left her mouth, they heard Beyoncé's Single Ladies blast through the doors, indicating it was the end of the show and the tech crew would be dancing on stage as they striked the minimal set. "Too late now." Daisuke smirked. He stood up and held his hand out.

Knowing what he was insinuating, she grabbed his hand and stood up. They looked at one another for a brief second before breaking out into dance. They danced their way back to the other side of the stage (going behind the mid drape so they couldn't be seen) and took their place backstage as they were before. Sakura assured the cast and crew she was all right at the concerned looks they gave her.

"42.25!" came Yukari's voice through the speakers. "Good job guys, come on out for notes."

**x~X~x**

Sakura was right. Right after notes, they worked on perfecting the gunshots at the end. Sakura already had the cues ready to call out on her copy of the script for when she was Stage Manager, but now it was a matter of Akane (a sophomore), whom took over as SM in Sakura's place, getting used to calling them at the precise moment and the actors getting accustomed to their gestures used to cue them so it would look natural. They ran through the ending again to help Akane get accustomed to the cues from the actors. As soon as they had it all figured out and settled, Yukari called it a day and dismissed everyone.

As soon as Sakura stepped out fully out of costume and make-up, Yukari called her over. She looked towards the audience and easily spotted Syaoran and Haruto, who were patiently waiting for her, and signaled to them that she would be there in a minute.

"Yes, Captain?" It was Yukari's nickname in the theater. She preferred to go by it; she thought it seemed fitting as she was the only adult in charge of the Drama Department whereas most other schools had two or more teachers to run the department.

Yukari put an arm around her and started walking with her to the back of the auditorium, heading to the booth. "Hey, I heard you fainted backstage. Are you okay?"

"Oh." Sakura was surprised but kept her composure. Sakura figured Naoko must have told her what happened. "Yeah, I'm fine. Naoko-chan gave me a lollipop. I guess I was just low on sugar."

Yukari gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I woke up late and missed breakfast this morning, but other than that, I'm completely fine."

It was a lie. She had been missing breakfast for the past few days now. She had time in the morning to make her and her father lunch, but made enough breakfast for him only. He almost always woke up after her and she was almost always long gone by the time he made it down for breakfast. She had also been staying up late trying the keep up with her studies. It's true, she took off hours at the bakery due to the constant rehearsals, but what Syaoran didn't know is that she had more than one job, which is why she had asked if he would stop taking her to work; she didn't want him to find out and worry about her—even Haruto didn't know.

"All right, then." There was reluctance in Yukari's voice, but having her for three years as her student, she knew Sakura well enough by now to know she wasn't one to express herself often as much as the others. "Do you mind showing Akane how to turn off the light and sound board again? And here." She placed the God mike in Sakura's hand. "Show her how to set this up too. You're free to go after that."

"Sure, no problem!" Sakura smiled brightly and jogged to the booth. As much as she was enjoying being on stage performing, she loved the technical aspect of the theater.

Sakura patiently showed Akane how to properly turn on and off the light, and especially, the sound board. Sakura was one of the few tech people who knew how to operate both the light and sound board so when inexperienced hands tried to shut the sound board on and off, a loud popping sound came through the speakers in the house, which was not a good sign. "So make sure to do it in that order precisely. Otherwise you'll get that popping sound and it could damage the speakers."

"Got it." Akane was finishing writing something on the inside of her binder. "I have it written down step by step, so hopefully that won't happen anymore. Thanks for being so patient with me."

"It's no trouble," Sakura said as they made their way down the small set of steps that lead to the door. "Once you've done it enough it becomes like second nature. Any time you need any help, just let me know. I miss being up here so I'll take any excuse I can get." Sakura opened the door to find a startled Daisuke on the other side. "Daisuke-kun?" Sakura blinked. "Did Yukari-sensei send you up here to get something?"

Daisuke's feet shuffled. "Uh, no, actually . . . I was looking for you."

Sakura blinked. "Me?"

Akane's eyes shifted between the two and smiled. She placed and encouraging hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Well, I'll see you later, Sakura-chan. Thanks again for before." She snaked her way out the door. "See you, Daisuke-kun."

Sakura looked at Akane and caught her sending her a wink. _Okay . . . that was weird_. "Anyways," Sakura started. She locked the booth from the inside and jiggled the knob to make sure it was locked before falling into step with Daisuke as they made their way down the aisle to the front of house. She saw that Syaoran and Haruto were conversing with Yamazaki near the stage. "What's up?"

Daisuke shrugged. "Nothing much. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I am." Sakura's eyebrows scrunched together. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Daisuke gave her an incredulous look. "Uh, because you fainted earlier," he pointed out. "Did you hit your head harder than we thought?"

"Oh, yeah that. Sorry I forgot." Sakura laughed nervously.

"How could you forget something like that so easily?" His hand went up to her head and rubbed it. "Are you sure you didn't bruise you head or something."

Sakura rolled her head away. "No, I'm fine, really." He gave her a skeptical look. They had stopped walking. "Seriously, I'm okay," she insisted. "But thank you for showing your concern." Sakura smiled. "It means a lot."

Daisuke studied her a bit longer before cracking a smile of his own. He took her hand in his and pulled her towards him into a tight embrace. "I'm glad." She heard him whisper in her ear; he was at least and inch taller than her so his head was able to comfortably rest on her shoulder. Sakura was too stunned to do anything. Eventually she relaxed and managed to return his hug happily. She closed her eyes as she felt him relax too. All too abruptly, he let go of her. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." He didn't wait for her response as he started walking away. He stopped momentarily and added, "Make sure to get some rest tonight."

Sakura blinked. "Yeah, okay." She watched his retreating figure with a confused expression. "That's weird. Why did he leave so suddenly?"

Almost as if on cue, she heard a gruff "Ah-hem" come from behind. She turned around to find a rather irritated Syaoran. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and he was glaring at Daisuke's retreating figure. "What was all that about?" As soon as he disappeared behind the exit doors, his glare shifted to Sakura. She visibly shuddered under his gaze.

"Oh that?" She pointed behind her. "Nothing. Daisuke-kun was just saying goodbye." She didn't know why but she had the sudden urge to protect Daisuke from Syaoran. That and she didn't want to tell him about the whole fainting incident. After all, him telling the rest of the school to back off had done more harm than good. If he found out about what happened backstage who knows what he would do.

"By hugging and getting all . . . touchy-feely with you?" His voice was cold.

"Yes, actually." It was Sakura's turn to glare. "Here in Drama we're like a family, so it's not unusual if we get _touchy-feely_ with each other." She made air quotations as if to mock his choice of words. Behind him, she saw Haruto bid farewell to Yamazaki and make his way to where they were, her bag in hand. He must have seen things were about to get ugly.

"Yeah, well, it didn't seem like you were that close before you became part of the cast," Syaoran shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura's hands were on her hips now.

"I'm just saying, I didn't see any of them try to defend you when the whole school ganged up on you the other day."

"That's because no one in Drama leaves through the front of the school." They way her tone was he was surprised she didn't add a "duh". "Everyone leaves through the two exits here."

Syaoran's eyebrows set to ones of confusion at this new set of information. "Well if you could have avoided them that day, why didn't you?"

"I'm not a coward, Li-kun," Sakura hissed. "I _chose_ to go that way because I knew they could never do anything to hurt me more than they have already. I needed to prove to them that I after all they've said and done, they could no longer control me with their hateful words and that I forgave them for it. And more importantly I needed to prove that to myself."

"How in the world could you ever forgive them? You're lucky I was there or things could have gotten far worse than a slap."

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sakura said dryly. "Just be glad you don't know what it feels like to be in their place. Forgiving someone who has hurt you is far more painful for that person than getting revenge."

Syaoran didn't know how to respond to that. Even if he had, he wouldn't have gotten the chance as Haruto decided to make his presence known at that exact moment. "Sooo . . .," he said cautiously, looking from Sakura to Syaoran and back. "Are we all ready to go home?"

Sakura was the first to break eye contact. She turned and smiled brightly at Haruto. "Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's no trouble," Haruto answered just as brightly.

Syaoran was left to stand in awe, wondering how they could both act so nonchalant. He and Sakura pretty much had their first somewhat big argument and they weren't even together yet! Syaoran shook his head and followed them out. He kept a few strides behind them as they walked home. They were talking amongst themselves in hushed voices, making it plainly obvious that they didn't want him to hear their conversation, but in the moment, he didn't care—too lost in his own mind.

He couldn't believe his jealousy got the best of him. Yes, he admit it—he was jealous; sue him. He couldn't believe that it got Sakura to be mad at him because of it, too. He was so stupid. Everything was going perfectly smooth between them, and he had to go and screw it up. He knew he had to somehow fix things between them, or else he might lose her. And he couldn't live with himself if that happened.

Sakura's house was always the first stop, but Haruto didn't seem to be bidding her farewell; instead, he was bidding Syaoran farewell. Syaoran raised an eyebrow at the two.

"Since Haruto lives by himself and can't cook anything to save his life, he stays over at my house and for dinner," Sakura explained at his unasked question. "Would you like to join us? I'm sure there's plenty to go around," she added as an afterthought. It's been a while since Syaoran walked her home, obviously he wouldn't know about Haruto staying over practically every night.

Syaoran shook his head. "No, that's all right. But I would like to talk with you." He glanced at Haruto and added, "Privately."

Sakura looked back at Haruto. They seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes. Syaoran felt a ting of jealousy at that, but he suppressed it. Finally, Haruto nodded. "I'll meet you inside," he told Sakura. "See you tomorrow, Li-kun."

Syaoran only nodded in response. He wasted no time as soon as the front door closed. "Look," he started, "I'm sorry for earlier. I guess I let my jealousy get the best of me and I took it out on you."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "What could you possibly get jealous of?"

"Daisuke," Syaoran said, as if it were obvious.

"Daisuke-kun?" Sakura blinked. "Why would you be jealous of him?"

"Why wouldn't I? Haruto-kun told me you still have a crush on him, even though it's been three years." Sakura blushed at this. "And when I saw him hold you like that, I couldn't help it. He's gotten closer to you in a shorter amount of time than I have."

Sakura gave a light laugh. "Believe me, he hasn't. I've wanted to be in his circle of friends since our freshman year and it took me this long. We've only ever acknowledged each other in class or in the hallways but that's it. If I would have known that becoming an actor would get me closer to him, I would have done it a long time ago.'" She was half -joking, of course, but her words didn't seem to make him feel any better. Seeing that, she reached up to take one of his hands in hers. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

"You had every right to be. I shouldn't have touched such a sensitive subject." His free hand stroked her hair lovingly. "The last thing I would want to do is hurt you." His hand traveled from her cheek down to her chin and gently pulled her face closer to his. He heard her sharply inhale. "Forgive me, Sakura-chan?"

He could see the blush creep up on her cheeks. Her green eyes were blinking rapidly behind her glasses. He restrained himself from smiling—glad she wasn't completely invulnerable against his charm. "Y-yeah," she breathed. "N-no worries."

Syaoran was finally able to bring out a smile and did the one thing he had wanted to do for the longest time now, without the excuse of rehearsing their song. Okay, scratch that, the second thing. He took hold of her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace, one hand cradling her head. "I'm glad," he whispered in her ear.

Sakura had a weird sense of déjà vu—except, in Syaoran's arms, it felt so natural. She felt safe, the way his hands were gentle around her and she could feel the sincerity of his earlier words. Any doubts she had about Syaoran seemed to vanish when he held her like this.

He drew back, his hands cupping her face. "Sakura-chan, I want you to know that you can tell me anything. You can trust me. I don't ever want to hurt you, and I don't want you to keep thinking I'm some bad guy with an ulterior motive. You know right? By now, you must know that I—that I like you." Sakura's eyes widened. He didn't know what possessed him to say it, but there was no turning back now. "Or maybe you don't." He laughed lightly and stroked her hair. "You don't know how badly I want to be with you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It hurts to be with you, but it also hurts to be away from you. I feel as if my chest is trapped in a constant flame. I have never felt this way before, about anyone. I feel sick constantly by just the thought of you, as if I might go crazy, but the only medicine . . . is you." He paused, searching her eyes. "Earlier, I felt as if I was losing you to Daisuke and I couldn't hold it in. I can't live if I lose you, Sakura-chan."

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words formed. Syaoran merely smiled.

"It's okay. I'm not expecting an answer any time soon. I just wanted to let you know how I felt." If Sakura hadn't just seen it, she wouldn't have felt the kiss he placed on her forehead. "Goodnight, Sakura-chan."

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><p><strong>상사병<strong>** Symptoms**

by

**SHINee**

from

**Everybody - EP**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 13**

**reader **I hope I put in enough SxS moments for you. Sorry for the wait.

**DesMM** Aw, you're so sweet, thank you. I was trying not to make this into a filler chapter like the last one apparently was. I hope I succeeded. ^^;

**littlepuppylost** I finally updated! . . . AGAIN! LOL No the person who gave Sakura her first kiss hasn't been revealed yet. But it will soon, if you don't know who it is already. I never gave a big enough hint, so probably not. The fight between Haruto and Sakura is a big part of her past, which will also be revealed eventually. Sorry, I know I've been keeping you all in the dark for so long! I hope you were satisfied with all the SxS scenes in this chapter. Also I added a jealous Syaoran at the end just for you. ;)

**Anony** Yes, last chapter was a bit of a filler. SxS didn't go on a date on this one, but Syaoran did make a move, ne? A big one. Sheesh, he just blurted that out of nowhere, even I'm surprised. I'm not sure what to do now. LOL If you don't know who Sakura's first kiss is by this chapter, I guess you'll find out soon enough. Sorry for the wait and thanks so much for reviewing!

**disneydrm** Thank you so much! I'll try not to keep you waiting for so long next time!

**Littlepuppylost(2)** Sorry! You had to review twice because of my lack of updates. But I'll try harder to write more this year.

**YourBiggestFan** Daw, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to keep my biggest fan waiting. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Guest (1st to review)** Sorry to make you wait, too. But thank you! I love BoA too.

**pooja manohar** Yeah, this one took a while, sorry. Wow I feel like I'm apologizing in every review.

**Anony (2nd to review)** Yeah, sometimes the theater stuff can get a but fillery, but I hope this time it didn't. ;) I hope there were enough SxS moments for you. Touya will be making an appearance sometime in the future, I can assure you that. Please let me know what you think.

**allyD** Here you go! I'll get working on the next chapter now.

**HikariAngel **Aw, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause you pain! But I'm glad you identify with Sakura as much as I do. It'll get better, I promise.

**BloodRose** Yes, I'm alive! I'm sorry to keep you waiting! There have been some changes made in the last chapters. You might have to go back and reread it . . . again.

**3** I know! I'm a horrible person for keeping you waiting so long! I'll try to work harder to not take as long next time.  
><strong>Guest (2nd to review)<strong> Thank you so much! I will most definitely continue writing! Don't worry!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! OMG Thank you for 400 reviews! Gosh, I don't even feel like I deserve it cuz it's been like, more than year, right? Sorry for that. I've had a MAJOR writers block. It was bad, you have no idea. I had to go back and reread what I wrote previously. That said, I also made a few major changes. If you are an old reader and was too excited to head my warning up above and just wanted to read the chapter, it may be a good time to go back and reread the story now-although I'm not sure if it's all that necessary. Like I said before, the only major things I changed were that Syaoran and Sakura are not together at this point, and Rika, Naoko, Chiharu, and Yamazaki were not friends with her in the past—they've started becoming friends once she was in the cast of the One-Act Clueless, much like Sakura and Daisuke.

Oh and soooo sorry for the cheesiness in this chapter—especially that first part. Even my hands were clenching at it while I went back and edited this. Um, well I guess that's about it. I'll try to update soon-ish, if the major writers block doesn't strike again. Thanks to all the people who've reviews throughout my unexpected hiatus—I never wanted to become that kind of author I swear. I know I may have lost a bunch of readers, but I do hope I gained a few new ones. I look forward to what you have to say! Also, I didn't plan on making Syaoran confess this soon, but it seems like he's been waiting just as long as you all have. LOL

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated November 16, 2014**

P.S. Support GOT7 at MAMA 2014 and vote for them! K-Pop lured me in deeper while I was away with no hopes of letting me out, not that I'm complaining. Last year was really the year of my ultimate babies SHINee and I thought I would get a break finally and catch up on writing this year but then GOT7 babies debuted and it was downhill from there once more. They're the only thing keeping me together because this year was just a mess, I'm looking at you SM Ent. OTL Again soooo terribly sorry! ALSO THEIR COMEBACK IS TODAY WITH THEIR FIRST FULL LENGTH ALBUM! WOOOOO! GOT7 IDENTITY FIGHTING! If you're into K-Pop, please support their title track "하지하지마(Stop stop it)"~! ^-^


	15. 종이 심장 Paper Heart

** Middle of Nowhere**

by

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Chapter 15: ****종이****심장**** Paper Heart**

**Summary:** Sakura is the loner, the nerd, the freak of her school. Syaoran, the popular heartthrob. She's been picked on ever since she could remember which has made her close off to everyone around her except those she feels truly comfortable and close with. One day, Syaoran's "buddies" make a bet: go out with Sakura for two months and have her fall in love with him before dumping her. But, he cannot fall in love with her. Can he get her to tell him she loves him? Or will he fall hard?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. I also don't own any songs or inspired quotes or excerpts that may appear in this fanfiction. All belongs to its corresponding owner. The story line for this fanfiction, however, is all mine so please no copyright.

**Announcement:** Back with another chapter! And this time I didn't take a year! Woot! This chapter is for my good friend ShinigamiChop55, happy birthday! A lot of SakuxHaru moments in the chapter, surprisingly. Please read and review!

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><p>In a daze Sakura entered her home, closing the door silently behind her. Sighing, she leaned her back against it, not sure if her face felt hot because of the warmth from inside the house or something else. She heard something soft call out to her and looked down to see a big golden fur ball nuzzling her feet. Smiling, she leaned down to pet it.<p>

"Hey, Kero," she said softly. "I'm home." The cat responded with a small mew. She took off her shoes and replaced them with her house slippers before continuing inside the rest of the house. She poked her head in the living room to find Haruto sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, books and notebooks already spread out. "Hey," she called out softly.

He looked up and gave her a small smile. "Hey," he answered back. "I'll wait here; you can change out of your uniform first." She nodded and went up to her room, Kero following in her stead.

"Oh, Kero," she sighed, closing her door. "What should I do now?" The feline merely tilted his head in response. She bent down to scratch him behind the ears. "I don't suppose you could help me with boy trouble."

At that the cat hissed and she laughed. "I know, I know. Sheesh, sometimes I wonder who's more protective; you or Onii-chan."

Kero leaned forward to nudge his face on her knee.

Sakura pet Kero for a little while longer before changing into something more comfortable and heading downstairs with her backpack. She and Haruto always did at least one hour of homework together before starting dinner. When it was her Father's night, he let them study together until dinner was ready. Tonight happened to be one of those nights Fujitaka has to teach an evening class so Sakura was in charge of dinner.

Sakura flopped down beside him and took out the necessary materials for their first subject and got to work. Not even twenty minutes had passed when a hand waving up and down in her line of vision snapped her back to reality.

"Wha—huh?" Her jade green eyes meet with Haruto's dark brown ones full of concern. "W-where were we?" she asked nervously, picking up her notebook to cover her face.

"By the looks of it," said Haruto, "you're still on page one." Sakura's shoulders visibly sagged. "Come on, you can do it. Problem 5 isn't that hard."

"I-I know. I just have a lot on my mind today. Districts is, like, a day away."

"Sakura," Haruto called out, placing a hand over her trembling one, "I know Districts isn't what bothering you." Sakura sighed and put down her book. "Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Li-kun just now?"

Sakura's eyes met Haruto's in a flash. "I . . . well—" Sakura looked down at her lap where a peaceful Kero was happily sleeping. Almost as if sensing her discomfort, Kero awoke and lifted his head to look at his owner and nudged her stomach, encouraging her to continue. "I-it's just that . . ." Sakura closed her eyes and said a tad bit louder than intended, "Syaoran-kun confessed to me."

There was silence. She could still feel Haruto's hand on hers so she knew he was there, but her mind was wondering why he wasn't saying anything. Courageously, she peaked and eye open and quickly shut it again when she saw he was indeed looking at her. "W-well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"I guess," she heard him say, "the appropriate thing to say would be . . . finally?"

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to properly face him. "H-hoe?"

Haruto chuckled. "Hey, what's that look for? It's pretty obvious he has feelings for you."

Sakura blinked. "H-HOE?!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean by that? S-since when?"

"You seriously didn't know?" Haruto couldn't help but laugh. "Come on Sakura, if someone as naive as me can see it I'm surprised you didn't catch on to it. It's even more surprising that you didn't shut yourself in your room and hid under the blankets the rest of the night."

Sakura pouted. "I wanted to . . ." she mumbled, caressing Kero to keep herself busy. "But I couldn't leave you here alone all night."

"Aw don't be upset," Haruto said, patting her head as if she were a little kid. "Hey, didn't you say he told you he liked you before too? Why is this time any different?"

"Huh? Ah, well . . ." Sakura blushed and looked down, paying more attention to petting Kero. "I don't know. When he told me on our first date, it was more like he was pulling words he thought I wanted to hear together—like he was forcing them out. But this time . . ." Sakura's hand paused. "This time," she said again, turning to look at him, "he was being sincere. The look in his eyes . . . I have never seen him look so vulnerable yet serious at the same time. He looked so determined to get his feelings across so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings."

"So what did you say?" Haruto asked. "After he confessed, I mean."

"I couldn't say anything. I was too shocked."

"Then what did he say?"

"He said," Sakura sighed, "that he wasn't expecting an answer anytime soon. He just wanted to tell me how he felt and then . . . He left."

Haruto frowned. "That's it?"

"Well he said some pretty cheesy stuff before that, but yeah."

"Oh really?" Haruto's smile turned into one full of mischief . "Like what?"

"Like how he constantly feels sick whether it's being away from me or with me, like he's going crazy, but I'm the only cure."

Haruto blinked. "Wow," he said after a brief pause, "love can even make someone like Li-kun say such a cheesy thing. I guess that means no one is immune."

"H-hoe~ Do you think he really meant what he said?"

"You said you saw it in his eyes that he was being sincere about his feelings, right?" Sakura nodded in response. "Then with that—along with the super cheesy analogy he made—I think he really did mean everything he said."

"Oh?" Sakura blinked.

Haruto smiled. "Let me give you some words of wisdom." He took her in his arms and leaned back until their backs hit the edge of the couch. Sakura tilted her head up, showing she was listening. "When a man falls in love, he falls in love . . . _hard. _You could say we're even worse than girls in that aspect."

"Eh? Really?"

"Well yeah. When we fall for someone it's like we love them for life, or it feels like it anyway. Even if they're not the right one for us, we try to convince ourselves that there's no one else other than that person. It really does feel like we'll go crazy without them—of course that's where restraining orders come in."

"Ah, some really do go crazy."

"And those are the ones you have to watch out for," he said, poking her nose. "But for the rest of us, it takes time, but we heal and look for the one we're really supposed to love."

"That's really sweet actually," she said. "And for the longest time Onii-chan has always described men like animals—like the only thing they're interested in is well . . ."

"Sex? Well he's not completely wrong." Haruto laughed. "Haven't you heard the phrase, men are like wild animals?"

"Yeah, but still," she said, "it sounds a bit sexist—stereotype your own gender like that."

"We say it to warn you," he said, his voice now serious. "There are good guys out there who truly and wholeheartedly love someone with all their being, but there are a lot more bad guys who only look for someone to fill their needs temporarily. Those don't care about the person at all, they just see what they like on the surface."

"Which one do you think Syaoran-kun is?" Sakura asked quietly.

Haruto paused, looking up to think properly. "Despite his reputation, he seems to be one of the good ones."

Sakura squeezed his hand lightly. "How can you be sure?"

"You can say it's male instinct," he answered, smiling down at her brightly and Sakura reciprocated. "So, should we get started on dinner?"

"Sure," said Sakura as she got up. She dusted herself off and extended her hand to help him up. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Spaghetti!" Haruto exclaimed whilst throwing his hands in the air enthusiastically. "I already took out the ground beef to defrost as soon as I got in."

Sakura laughed. "Okay, spaghetti it is."

"So what can I help with?" Haruto asked cheerfully as he followed Sakura into the kitchen with a bounce in his step.

Sakura paused her extended hand on the refrigerator door and turned to face him, smiling weakly. "Um . . . why don't you take care of the pasta and I'll take care of the sauce."

Haruto pouted. "I can help with the sauce. The pasta doesn't need as much attention." Seeing her skeptical _that's-the-point_ look he added, "How about I just stir it occasionally for you?"

Sakura sighed in defeat. "Okay, but only when I tell you."

"Yes, Chef!"

While Sakura was getting out the necessary vegetables and condiments, Haruto filled a pot with water for the noodles, adding a dash of salt into it under Sakura's instructions. After washing the vegetables, before doing anything else, she cut the outside of an onion and put a few of the onions shells into the boiling water for the pasta—she decided to let the meat defrost a bit longer after seeing it was still a little bit frozen.

Haruto watched her while she chopped the remainder of the onion with expertise as he waited for the water to boil. "So what are you going to do next?" he asked after a while.

"Well first I have to let the meat defrost a bit more and then cook it; afterwards I can add vegetables so the flavors blend together with the natural juices."

"Not that." Haruto chuckled. "I meant about Li-kun."

Sakura's hand faltered. "I—I haven't really thought that far ahead," she answered, resuming to mince a couple cloves of garlic. "I'm still in shock, to be honest."

"Do you think you would like to go out with him?"

"Tomoyo-chan would love that," huffed Sakura. She looked up at him over the rim of her glasses and said, "What do you think I should do?"

"That's not answering the question," he said. "It depends on how you feel; no one else knows what's going on inside you but you. Don't' think about what other people will say, follow your heart."

"Well . . . I—" Sakura hesitated. "You know, I don't really know how to do that."

At the saddened expression on her face, Haruto put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "It's easy!" he said smiling. "How about I help you?" Sakura turned her attention back to the vegetables but nodded to let him know she would be listening. "Well, first thing's first: do you like him back?"

"Well . . ."

"Well . . .?" Haruto repeated when she didn't say anything else.

"I don't know . . . if I do or not," she answered. Haruto hung his head and ran his hand through his hair.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," he said, feeling dejected. Then he remembered something. "Didn't you used to have a crush on Yukito-san? And what about Kyouta-kun?"

Sakura's face reddened at that. "T-that's different!"

"How so?" he challenged, hand on hips. "You still like them, don't you?"

"W-well, yeah, I guess . . ."

"Then?" He raised a brow. "What is so different about your feelings to Li-kun compared to them?" He saw her mouth move but her voice was too low to hear what she said. "What was that?"

"They haven't confessed to me, okay?" Sakura pouted. She added the ground beef to the pot and started smashing it apart with a wooden spoon. "I don't think I had feelings for him before, and I never really considered the possibility until Syaoran-kun confessed—I always assumed he was playing some game or something but I felt his sincerity today for the first time. And now . . . I don't know if whatever I'm feeling is the same of what I feel for Yukito-san or Kyouta-kun, or if I'm just flustered because for the first time someone told me they liked me and meant it."

"Ah, so there can be feelings like that too," he murmured.

"What?"

"What?"

Sakura gave him a weird look. "Okay, um, the water is ready; you should probably add the pasta now."

"Ah, okay, a box and a half, right?"

"Yup," Sakura confirmed as she added the chopped onion in with the meat and stirring them together. "What do you think I should do?" she asked after a while. "Should I go out with him?"

"Like I said, it's how you feel. No one can know best but you."

Sakura pouted. "You're no help."

Haruto laughed. "Okay then how about this: do you think you could like him like that?"

He saw her bite her bottom lip in thought and waited patiently for her answer.

"I think," she said carefully, "maybe I could."

Haruto gave a small smile at her answer.

"He really does seem to care about me, he stands up for me, it feels like we've been through a lot these past few weeks, and somehow he's become a really dear and close friend."

Despite all the positive points she was making, he knew that there would be a: "But . . .?"

"But," she said with a sigh, "being with him would just make things more complicated." She added the rest of the vegetables in and stirred briefly before taking one of the cans of tomato paste in one hand, and the can opener in the other. "I would become public enemy number one, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to face all that on my own."

"But you wouldn't be alone."

Sakura turned to face him.

She didn't need to say anything, or had time to anyway, as he already knew what she would ask by her questioning look. "It takes two, Sakura," he said simply. "You wouldn't be the only one in a relationship. Although you would be the one to receive most of the heat, I know Li-kun will be there for you to protect you as best he can."

At that Sakura gave a small smile.

"And me too. I will always stay by your side. Even if the whole world turns against you, I will stay with you, and support you in whatever you decide to do. And I will fight with you against anyone who tries to hurt you."

Sakura's smile grew brighter and she dropped the can opener on the counter to wrap her arms around Haruto in a tight warm hug. "Thank you, Haru." He felt her cheek nuzzle against his chest. "I'm so glad your back."

"Me too." He patted the top of her head, returning the hug. "Well, hey, we should finish up, I'm starving."

Sakura laughed. "Okay."

**x~X~x**

The following day, Sakura and Haruto left Sakura's house together to go to school. "Thanks for letting me stay over, and washing my uniform."

"It's no trouble—it was about time I did the laundry anyway." Sakura took his hand in hers and smiled a warm smile. "I should be thanking you. You wanted to stay to make sure I was all right, didn't you?"

"Well, I couldn't very well let my best friend agonize all night by herself, now could I?"

Sakura laughed. "I still can't believe we can both fit on my bed."

"Well I still can't believe your dad _let_ us both sleep on your bed," Haruto remarked. "He trusts you way too much."

"Not just me, but you too," said Sakura. She gave his hand a light squeeze. "Otou-san knows you and knows you wouldn't hurt a fly—mainly because you're scared of them—"

"Hey—"

"Anyway," continued Sakura, "I was thinking, if Otou-san is all right with you sleeping over for one night, I'm sure he'll happily agree to have you move in with us."

"You know my parents would never ask for your family to do such a big favor, they would want to still send rent money at least."

"They can if that makes them feel better, but it would be a whole lot cheaper than what they're paying for now. And you'll be eating better for sure so less money for food expense, 24/7 access to our washer and dryer for _free_ and you can live with your bestest friend in the whole wide world," Sakura finished in a sing-song voice. "It will be just like when we were little, except we live together instead of just being neighbors."

Haruto smiled and patted her head. He knew she hated when he did that ever since puberty hit and his height started exceeding her own—it made her feel shorter than normal; like she was a small child he was taking care of when in reality she took care of him more.

"I'll have to talk with my parents, but honestly, I was thinking of getting a part-time job so they wouldn't have to spend so much on me."

"You can still get one. I can get in a good word for you in one of mine. You know, after Districts and everything," She was watching him and noticed his hesitation. "Oh, come on," she said, "it happens all the time in those American shows you show me."

"That was the Disney Channel, which shouldn't be a reliable source for this, and it happened like twice. Besides where will I stay? I have my own stuff and I doubt it will all fit in your room."

"You know we have a guest bedroom, you can stay there—no matter how much Touya-nii likes you, there's no way he will let you stay in his room—even if he's living in another city now."

"You've figured it all out, huh?"

"Yup!"

His lips tugged upwards seeing her bright smile. There was really no winning when it came to her. He knew he couldn't say no to her for long—he had always preferred seeing her smiling than anything else.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his bangs. "I'll have to talk to my parent, which will eventually talk to your dad. If both sides agree, then maybe I can move in with you."

Sakura hugged his arm, slightly tugging down at him along the way. "It's gonna so much fun! We'll have crazy adventures every day."

"You know that only happens on TV, right?" Haruto laughed. "The most exciting thing to happen would be if you let me cook dinner by myself one night."

Sakura pouted and slapped his arm. "Shush, don't ruin this for me before it starts."

"Speaking of ruining things before they've started, are you going to run away from Li-kun until you've sorted out your feelings?"

Sakura gapped at him. "W-wha—? What are you talking about? You really think _I_ would run away from someone who confessed less than 12 hours ago just because I have mixed feelings and will probably be embarrassed every time I see him now?"

He didn't say anything but his expression said _yeah, I really do_ causing Sakura to huff out.

"P-please I'm not like that."

_Yes you are_, his eyes told her.

"I hate you."

"Love you, too," he replied with his own sing-song voice.

Despite her claiming not to be avoiding Syaoran, she had dragged Haruto to the front of the Drama Room as soon as they entered the school—a place Syaoran didn't go to unless they had rehearsal for Districts—until the first warning bell rang.

"You do know you have practically every class with the guy," Haruto commented as they neared their two classrooms. "You can't avoid him forever."

"I am _not_ avoiding him."

Haruto smiled and shook his head. She was avoiding his eyes and shuffling her feet—signs he knew well when she lied. "Well it seems like the person you're '_not_' avoiding hasn't made it to class yet so you're in the clear."

Sakura looked behind her and sure enough his seat was empty and not a growing crowd of girls in sight. Despite her classroom looking normal for once, she found it a bit odd to see it as such.

"Well, I'll see you in between breaks!"

Haruto slipped inside his classroom before she could get a word in. Begrudged, she entered her own and muttered a soft "good morning" as she walked to her seat, making as little eye contact as possible having feeling the death glares directed at her. She looked around as she took out the necessary materials and found her classroom almost full.

She glanced behind her at the empty seat and frowned. Syaoran liked to be the first in class; it was rare to see him cut it so close to the final bell. Every time the doors slid open her eyes quickly followed to see if it would be him. But it wasn't.

Come to think of it, she thought, he wasn't waiting for her at the usual spot to walk to school together like he had been the past few weeks. Her mind became clouded thinking of the possible reasons. Maybe he got sick. Or maybe he was just bluffing last night. Maybe he really didn't like her. Maybe he—

The final bell rang and the front door slid open and like the past few times, her eyes wandered to it expecting a certain messy brown haired boy. Instead she got her homeroom teacher. She had almost given up when the back door slid open and in entered the person she had unknowingly been hoping to see. A small smile formed on her lips and her eyes followed him. He however, didn't as much as glance her way even when he had already sat down. She nervously opened her mouth to greet him but the teacher's voice calling for attention cut her off. Sakura quickly closed her lips and faced the front.

The rest of the day went pretty much the same: girls swarmed or dragged him away during breaks so Sakura couldn't get even one word in with him when she left to hang out with Haruto outside their classroom. Today he didn't seem to be bothered or try to escape to be with her. It wasn't until lunch time when he got up on his own and left without saying anything to her that she figured out that _he_ was the one avoiding _her_. When she came to the realization she knew he wouldn't be joining her for lunch. She packed her stuff and headed to Haruto's classroom to eat with him instead.

**x~X~x**

"Hey, man, didn't expect to see you today."

Syaoran raised a brow at Jun. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been eating lunch with Kinomoto so much, we figured you wouldn't join us for a while," Ryouga explained.

Syaoran mouth an O as he placed his tray down on the table. "Today I thought I'd join you guys."

Jun looked over Syaoran's shoulders, his eyes scanning the cafeteria. "You didn't bring her this time?"

"She's still scarred from the last time." Syaoran gracefully split his chopsticks in two. "I thought I'd let her eat with her friend for once."

"You're not avoiding her, are you?" Kou spoke up for the first time.

"No, why would I?"

Kou shrugged. "Not sure. You wouldn't have a reason unless . . ." Syaoran's face was blank but the other two leaned in at the dramatic pause. "Unless you actually like her."

The other two turned to look at Syaoran and he didn't like how they were looking at him, ready to pick out every little thing he said if he did admit to it. He merely raised a brow at them. "You're kidding right?"

The other two chuckled. What was the possibility Li Syaoran would come to like Kinomoto Sakura anyway?

"I'm just looking out for you. You can't win if you avoid her."

Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed at the last part, but quickly brushed it off. "What, I can't eat with my best friends every now and then?" Syaoran smirked. "And don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Oh, so she's your girlfriend then?"

"Not exactly."

"Hey, good job giving him this one, Kou," Ryouga said nudging his friend. "We could win this time."

It took Syaoran a good second to catch up on what they were talking about. He quickly composed himself and his lips pulled up to his signature half smirk. "Don't get ahead of yourselves."

"I don't know, the sun is shining on our end," Ryouga said.

"It's been almost a month and you can't get her to be your girlfriend?" Kou said, "I bet you haven't even kissed her yet."

"Actually I have," Syaoran retorted. "And I'm taking my time with her."

"Ah, but that's something you don't have," Kou said.

Syaoran gave him a cheeky smile but didn't say anything because he knew he was right. But now, he wasn't sure if he cared for it or not.

**x~X~x**

"Are you sure about that? It seems like a little far-fetched."

"Positive, Haru. He's avoiding me, I know it." Sakura took a sip of her milk tea. "He hasn't said one word to me all day."

"Not even a good morning?"

"Nope."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I couldn't—his ever loving fans surrounded him the second classes ended. It was impossible to even see him through that crowd—and I sit in front of him."

"At least he can't complain I'm stealing his thunder." Sakura looked at him confused. "Hey, you gotta admit I was pretty popular when I first transferred."

"I'd say you're still pretty popular now," Sakura said, noticing a few girls huddled up and giggling while sneaking glances in their direction, which she was pretty positive those weren't directed at her. "So anyway, why do you think he's avoiding me now."

"I don't know," Haruto said with a shrug. "Maybe he just likes you too much and gets too shy around you right now."

Sakura looked utterly dumbfounded. "Li Syaoran, _shy_?" Haruto gave a _well yeah_ nod. "Li Syaoran. Like . . . this is Li Syaoran, we're talking about."

"Yeah, I know." Haruto took a bite of the lunch Sakura had prepared for them that morning. "So?"

"So? _So?!_ Haru, this is _Li Syaoran_ we're talking about," she hissed, careful not to draw attention to them.

"And?" Haruto laughed. "Sakura, he's just a guy."

"Okay yes, but this is **Li Syaoran**."

Haruto raised a brow. "I think I have his name permanently etched in my brain now, thanks." He took another bite. "And what's the big deal? You were never one to care about status."

"I don't it's just that . . ." Sakura sighed and Haruto gave her an encouraging smile. "This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life. The whole 'most desired boy in school somehow ends up liking the school loser and they become a happy couple and prove everyone wrong with their undying love' thing. That only happens in movies or books or books turned movies, but certainly _not_ in real life."

Haruto took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the inside of her wrist. "Sakura, you are not a loser."

"If I weren't would I still be bullied to this day?"

"That is not your fault." His voice was stern.

"I know," Sakura sighed, "But some days I wonder if it really is or if I did something to hurt them and not know it."

Silence.

"I'm . . . I'm just a plain ordinary girl trying to get through high school and he's . . . He's too good to be true. Him even liking me is too good to be true."

"Sakura, you may not think so, but you are extraordinary. I see it, Li sees it, our friends from Drama are starting to see it. You have a special power and you don't even know it."

"Power?" Sakura looked at her hands and held them up to him. Haruto laughed and gently lowered her hands.

"Not that kind out power, although it's similar." Sakura tilted her head, her jade eyes both confused and expectant. "But I'll let Li tell you when he figures it out."

"Thought you said he already knows."

"He does," Haruto confirmed. "He just doesn't know that he knows, you know?"

"Okay, you lost me."

Haruto chuckled. "It's just how you are right now. It's obvious you like him but you just don't know it yet."

She felt her face grow hot. "Haru, I don't like him." Her voice trailed off to a soft whisper, as if her own voice were betraying her for lying. He gave her a look that said, _are you sure about that_. She groaned and flopped her head down on the desk. "I was so glad I made it this far without having to go through this in high school but look at me now." She peaked one eye through the curtain of her hair. "Can't you tell me what I should do?"

"I could—" Sakura perked up. "—But I can't tell you how you should feel."

"You're evil. You're enjoying watching me suffer."

"What? _No_." His voice was exaggerated and fake, and Sakura wasn't buying it. "Okay, okay, I would _love_ to help you out in this typical teenage dilemma, but wouldn't you prefer for fate to tell you if you're right for each other?"

"And how would I do that? Go up the nearest temple and pray for a sign or get one those charm things?"

"That could work."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Haru, I being sarcastic."

"So was I." He smiled. "Try talking to him. You might figure something out along the way. You two do make really good duet partners—trust me, the chemistry is there."

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang and Haruto's class slowly began piling in. He helped Sakura clean up and wrap their lunch boxes back up.

Just as she was getting up to leave he grabbed her hand. She looked back at him. "Promise you'll talk to him. I know you'll make the right choice."

Sakura smiled. "Everything will be all right."

**x~X~x**

Sakura swirled around on the tall swivel chair. There weren't a lot of books that had to be put away today so it took less than 10 minutes. She had already stamped the return dates on next week's card too. One of the librarians had stepped out and put her in charge of the front desk.

"Excuse me, I'd like to check these out please."

"Oh sorry I—" Sakura quickly circled her chair around. "Naoko-chan?"

"Sakura-chan! Wow what are you doing there?"

"I spend my free period as a student assistant here."

"That's so cool! I'll definitely come by more often to keep you company."

"Thanks," Sakura laughed. "It's just my luck to land the slowest period."

"That's a bummer." Naoko handed over her student ID.

Sakura quickly scanned the card and slid the books over the counter. She did a double take at the cover of the books.

"Hey, I love this series!"

Naoko's brown eyes widened. "You do? Is it any good? Other than Harry Potter I haven't read much of fantasy or magic. I prefer horror and mystery."

"Yeah, you'll love it, trust me. There is a bit of a mystery in them too."

"Well then, it looks like Li-kun's suggestion was a good one."

Sakura hesitated. "Li? As in _Li Syaoran_?"

"Is there any other?" Naoko laughed.

Sakura slid the now checked-out books across the counter. "Wow, I didn't know he read these kinds of things."

"Oh yeah, I saw him reading one of them over there—he helped me find them actually." Sakura looked over to where Naoko was pointing to. She saw Syaoran sitting in the same couch she normally sat in, book in lap. "Hey, would you like to join our book club?"

"Huh?"

"A few of us in Drama have our own book club. It's nothing special—we just spazz about books before or after class, but you're welcome to join us anytime."

Sakura knew about the book club. It mainly consisted of the 'Inner Circle' of Drama. Her class vowed to not be like past classes and form cliques but there was always a few group of people who were closer than others, but overall everyone got along great. Hearing Naoko invite her to join in made her happy. "Really? That would be awesome, thank you."

"Any time, it was nice seeing you."

"Y-yeah, see you in class."

As soon as Naoko left, Sakura looked around at the near empty library. Gathering up her courage, she slipped off her chair and walked to where Syaoran was. She intertwined her fingers together as she grew closer.

"H-hey," she called out softly, "mind if I sit here?" Syaoran looked up and, it could have been her imagination, but were his ears always a bit pink?

"Sure."

She didn't expect him to agree so fast. She didn't know what else to say but, "Thank you." She nervously sat down. She kept sneaking glances towards the front desk; just to check and see no one would need to be kept waiting but mostly because she didn't know what to say to him.

"Naoko-chan was telling me you helped her find that book series," she said shyly. Glancing at the cover, she could distinguish it as the second to last book in the series—the last one hadn't come out yet. "I didn't know you were into them too."

"I wasn't at first," he answered. "But I noticed one of them among the books you always carry and thought I would check it out. I actually like it, it has a bit of everything."

Sakura nodded, not knowing what else to say. She remembered what Haruto said before, and took a deep breath. "So, um, can I ask you something?" She felt his strong eyes on her, but kept hers on her fingers playing with her skirt. "H-have you been . . . avoiding me today?"

He didn't say anything for a while. "I guess, I have," he finally answered. "I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's okay."

"Is it?"

She could practically _hear_ his smirk. "Yeah, I think so," she said. "I wasn't ready to face you yet either after, uh, yesterday."

"Is that something pink I see?"

Sakura touched her face nervously. "N-no." She heard a low chuckle come from him. Suddenly a thought came to her. "Hey, um, do you believe in fate?"

"To be honest, I haven't really thought about it," he said. "Why?"

"No reason, just that Haru and I were talking about people, and fate, and other stuff."

"So you two were talking about whether you and I were fated for each other."

Sakura laughed nervously. "Not exactly." She sneaked a peak and this time could see his condescending smirk.

"Are going to tell me what you're really thinking?"

Sakura turned fully to face him, not expecting him to have moved closer to her. Her face instantly heat up at the close proximity. She forced herself to look at him, but couldn't help avoiding his intense eyes at all costs.

"Haru," she started, "said we make good duet partners—that we have chemistry together." He looked at her expectantly. "But I don't know how I feel about you yet so I've decided to let fate decide."

His face tilted, his Amber eyes full of amusement. "How so?"

"Districts," she said, surprising herself at her own confidence. At his questioning look, she continued. "If we get best in show, I'll take it as a sign and agree to go out with you."

Syaoran's smile grew wider and caressed her cheek. She could have sworn he was getting closer but just as she thought their lips would meet, he pulled back and said, "All right. It's a deal."

* * *

><p><strong>종이<strong>**심장**** Paper Heart**

by

**f(x)**

from

**The 3rd Album 'Red Light'**

**Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 13**

**Just a reader (Guest) **Thank you so much! And, well, you're right about that. Things do take a turn soon.

**Anony (Guest)** You'll have to wait and see for the results of what happens at districts.

**Guest** Thank you! I will definitely write more!

**reader (Guest) **Ha ha, yeah wow. Thank you for reviewing.

**Sakura-chan Master of the Clow**

**Updated February 23, 2015**


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